POLICE in Chegutu have launched an investigation following the assault of a Zanu PF youth for putting President Emmerson Mnangagwa campaign posters outside a fast food outlet, Chicken lnn.

The incident occured Friday late afternoon in the farming town situated almost 100km from Harare.

The youth identified as Ngonidzashe Chakandika allegedly defied instructions from Chicken Inn employees, who confronted him and ordered to pull down Mnangagwa campaign material on a pole adjacent the outlet.

He had earlier been spotted pasting the campaign posters.

Aspiring Zanu PF Chegutu Member of Parliament (MP), Last Chigavazira confirmed the incident to NewZimbabwe.com.

"It's true. The name of the youth attacked is Ngonidzashe Chakandika. He was assaulted by Chicken Inn staff for sticking the President's poster on a ZESA powerline pole that is opposite Chicken Inn.

"The Chicken lnn staff claim that they were instructed by the Branch Manager to remove any poster that was close to their premises. The matter was reported to Chegutu Central Police Station and the police is on top of the issue," said Chigavazira.

Videos of the fracas, in which Chicken lnn workers gang up to bash helpless Chakandika, have gone viral on social media platforms.

Efforts to get comment from Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) national spokesperson, Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi, were fruitless by time of publishing.

Curiously, Chicken lnn is a subsidiary of Innscor, a conglomerate that has recently come under government attack for allegedly sparking currency volatility.

Government and Innscor Africa shareholders recently held a tense meeting, where Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga reportedly issued a chilling warning against the giant firm, saying authorities would treat "economic saboteurs" as enemies of the State. The threats reportedly left Innscor executives shaken.

Chiwenga, a former Zimbabwe Defence Forces commander, reportedly told Innscor bosses to "shape up or ship out".