Ÿ vote. WHAT A SHAME!!!!!!!!.” ZRP officers also charged Shoko with public violence under section 36 of the Criminal Code for allegedly participating in the 1 August protests in Harare, and with assault under section 89 of the Criminal Code for allegedly assaulting Energy Mutodi, a ZANU-PF member on 25 August 2017 at Holiday Inn Hotel in Harare. Ÿ In August, authorities in Beitbridge suspended a nurse Senzeni Klaasen from employment after she allegedly criticised ZANU-PF party for causing the country’s economic and political crisis. Dr Lenos Samhere, the District Medical Officer at Beitbridge District Hospital accused the 47year-old Sister-In-Charge at Beitbridge District Hospital of misconduct after she was allegedly recorded in an audio clip circulated on social media uttering what hospital authorities considered to be some “abusive” words. According to the purported audio clip, Klaasen allegedly accused ZANU-PF of causing the mass exodus of Zimbabweans who were going to neighbouring countries in search of greener pastures and seeking medical treatment in countries such as South Africa. Ÿ On 20 September a Harare Magistrate granted bail of $30 to Conrad Gweru, a freelance journalist, who had spent two nights in police cells after being arrested and charged with disorderly conduct under section 41 of the Criminal Code for allegedly taking photographs of ZRP officers. Ÿ On 29 September, police arrested Norman Machipisa after he reportedly said President Emmerson Mnangagwa was incapable of running the country. He was charged for disorderly conduct under section 41 (b) of the Criminal Code. Ÿ In October, Newspapers vendors who were selling AMH titles, NewsDay and The Zimbabwe Independent in Harare were attacked by a group of 8 men. The group transported in 2 cars attacked vendors and burnt newspapers. They were arrested and taken to Harare Central police station. In the same period, the editor of NewsDay, Wisdom Mdzungairi, was threatened after AMH increased the prices of its titles by 100 per cent from the $1 at which the newspapers were selling. Ÿ On 1 November a court acquitted three villagers Trymore Kutadzaushe, Chipo Mushonga, and Justine Mapfumo, of Chimombe Village in Buhera North constituency who had been on trial for allegedly insulting a traditional leader, whom they had allegedly denounced for disapproving their support to an opposition political party. The three villagers had been on trial on charges of disorderly conduct in a public place as defined in section 41(b) of the Criminal Code. The three had told Causemore Chimombe, a traditional leader on 23 June 2017 that “We are tired of being intimidated. We no longer need to be oppressed. We are not bothered that someone is a Chief. With your age, can't you see that you support what is useless? I cannot be forced to support a party which I do not like. We do not have a headman. Councillor, Chief, Member of Parliament and President”. The court found that the words allegedly uttered by the villagers did not constitute a crime. Ÿ In November 2017, ZRP officers arrested an American citizen Martha O'Donovan and charged her with subverting a constitutional government after claiming that she undermined authority of or insulted former President Robert Mugabe through posting a message on social media. The American was held in a maximum-security prison for seven days, and then released on bail with instructions to have very limited social contact. O’Donovan was set free by Harare Magistrate Nomsa Sabarauta after her lawyers successfully challenged the continued placement of the American citizen on remand without being given a trial date. O’Donovan left 58 STATE OF HUMAN RIGHTS REPORT ZIMBABWE 2018