Mugabe poster haunts villagers

The two, Crispen Kudzika and Fungai Mawonya of Mabvurudza village in Mutasa North constituency,

Manicaland are on trial for contravening Section 152 of the Electoral Act after they allegedly destroyed a political campaign poster.The incident happened on 7 June 2008 at around 15:00 hours, according

to the State.

Prosecutors allege that Kudzika and Mawonya approached John Masiko, a Zanu (PF) supporter who was passing through Ngarura Business Centre, where the two were participating in a community meeting, while

holding President Mugabes presidential campaign poster.

Kudzika and Mawonya allegedly accused Masiko of provoking them by passing through a road near where

they were holding their meeting while waving President Mugabes poster.

They allegedly confi scated the poster and toyi-toyed it before shredding it.The villagers have been before the courts on the matter since April 2010. The trial suffered a false start after prosecutors

postponed the case, first citing the absence of a trial Magistrate and then after failing to locate the original record of proceedings.The trial will now commence on 30 November.

The prosecution of Kudzika and Mawonya is the latest in a string of cases in which villagers and human

rights and political activists have been hauled before the courts for allegedly offending or insulting President Mugabe. Recently, Chipinge Magistrate Samuel Zuze sentenced Gift Mafuka to a year in jail with hard labour for insulting President Mugabe.

Mafuka was found guilty of contravening Section 33 of the Criminal Law (Codifi cation and Reform) Act, Chapters 9:23 after he allegedly quizzed two young boys for wearing t-shirts emblazoned with President Mugabes images.Besides Mafuka and the Honde Valley villagers,more than four legislators have since January this year been brought before the courts for allegedly insulting and undermining the authority

of President Mugabe.

In May, the police charged Senator Morgan Komichi from Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirais MDC party

with undermining the authority of or insulting President Mugabe. The police alleged that Komichi undermined and insulted President Mugabe by singing a song at a rally in Mashonaland Central province with the following lyrics: Graces husband reminds me of my donkey which died long long back. President Mugabes wife is called Grace.Senator Komichi has since successfully applied for his removal

from remand.

Epworth MP Hon Eliah Jembere, who had at one time been dragged to court for allegedly insulting the

octogenarian leader, has been removed from remand after his lawyer Jeremiah Bamu of Zimbabwe Lawyers

for Human Rights (ZLHR) applied for refusal of further remand.

In January, Constitution Select Committee (COPAC) co-chairperson and Nyanga North MP Hon. Douglas

Mwonzora was summoned to stand trial on allegations of likening President Mugabe to a goblin at a rally at Ruwangwe Growth Point in Nyanga North constituency in March 2009. The police alleged that Hon. Mwonzora uttered the following words: President Robert Mugabe Ndaona Mugabe achigeza, tauro muchiuno, sipo muhapwa uye ndebvu hwapepe.

Pamberi neMDC, pasi nechihurumende chembavha chinosunga vanhu vasina mhosva chichitora zvinhu zvavo. Police took this to literally mean; President Mugabe is a goblin and will run I saw Mugabe bathing,

towel on his waist, soap under his armpits and big beard forward with MDC down with bad government

of thieves which arrest innocent people and taking away their property (sic). – ZLHR

Legal Monitor