HARARE – The ruling party, Zanu PF has dismissed social media reports that it was plotting a legislation to ban the wearing of mini-skirts by women in public, describing the viral report as “fake news.”
Trending social media messages claimed Zanu PF is “planning to present a Bill in Parliament to ban the wearing of trousers and mini-skirts by women in public.”
The claims were attributed to acting Zanu PF political commissar Patrick Chinamasa.
However, Zanu PF spokesman Simon Khaya Moyo issued a statement on Monday, accusing the main opposition MDC Alliance party of creating the false reports.
“The party’s Women’s League was formed by combat women during the prosecution of the liberation struggle to commence work for post-colonial women empowerment programmes and advancement in rights, status, opportunity and emancipation,” Khaya Moyo said.
“It is therefore ridiculous that such anecdotes about dress can be traced to a huge mass party founded and existing on the shoulders of an empowered women’s league. This fake story reflects a new low for the MDC Alliance.
“Zanu PF reminds political actors that spreading fake news in the name of our leaders or our party as part of the so-called disinformation and disinformation agenda will never save their waning political fortunes nor cure their factionalism and their divisions.”
The fake report revealed “unblemished levels of desperation” and “reflected the immaturity, childish mentality and unrefined attitude of the MDC alliance”, Khaya Moyo said.
The Zanu PF spokesperson provided no evidence that the MDC Alliance created the “fake news”. He said Zimbabweans would not be fooled by “desperate peddlers of false information”.
