Mhlanga had initially appeared in court on Tuesday and was remanded in custody by Harare Magistrate Farai Gwatima, pending a ruling on his bail application, which was set for Thursday.

Ahead of the bail ruling, Mhlanga was made to wear prison garb, sparking reactions from some who have raised concerns about the fairness of this treatment.

Critics have pointed out that other figures, such as journalist Hopewell Chin’ono and politician Job Sikhala, were allowed to wear their own clothes while in remand.

Before the ruling, Abel Runga spoke to Change Radio, describing Mhlanga’s treatment as a case of selective justice. Said Runga:

Blessed Mhlanga should not be treated like a convicted prisoner, especially since the state’s case against him is weak. He also complained that the arrest in the first place is an attack on constitutional provisions, particularly Section 61 which guarantees the people of Zimbabwe the freedom of expression, Section 62 which guarantees the right to access information, and Section 141 which protects public participation in law-making processes.

Toneo, a local media personality, has called for a media blackout in response to Mhlanga’s detention. He said:

If they don’t give Blessed Mhlanga bail, my media house will stop publishing or posting news for 14 days.