Four people have appeared in court for allegedly booing at Zimbabwe's first lady Grace Mugabe during a rally in Bulawayo.
While Grace was addressing a rally in Bulawayo last week, she was booed at by some youths, who obviously showed signs that they were not supporting what Grace Mugabe was saying.
Prosecutor Jerry Mutsindikwa told a magistrate court that "the quartet, with others allegedly sang the song 'into oyenzayo siyayizonda'" - whose lyrics in Ndebele mean "we hate what you are doing" -- while Grace addressed the rally. This has led to one of the most infamous charges in Zimbabwe- undermining the authority of the president.
The development is a refection of the acrimonious succession wars in the ruling party ZANU-PF, and the quest to make Zimbabwe more of a police state. This week saw Mugabe's former deputy Emmerson Mnangagwa being sacked from the post of Vice President of the nation, and also being kicked out of the party. The four are accused of being Mnangagwa's supporters.
Now that Mnangagwa has been removed, Grace is in the front seat of being elected Vice President at next month's elective congress.
Mnangagwa, who previously had been viewed as Mugabe's successor, has fled the country following his ousting from the party, and he has sworn that he will fight the "party capture" orchestrated by Mugabe and his wife.