Zebedia Mpofu, a general hand labourer at a private security firm and father of three, is accused of undermining of President Robert Mugabe when he allegedly told a colleague, Gilbert Matarutse, a known Zanu (PF) supporter, that he owed a fruity drink and a packet of biscuits he was enjoying for lunch to economic policies spearheaded by Tsvangirai.
According to the State, Mpofu contravened Section 33 (1) (a) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform).
The State alleges that Mpofu also stated that “President Mugabe had ruined the country and that he was going to be dead by December 2010 then Morgan
Tsvangirai would take over as President of Zimbabwe.”
But statements recorded from other workmates acting as witnesses all deny hearing Mpofu utter the alleged words.
Mpofu is just but one of several Zimbabweans, from politicians to ordinary villagers, who have been dragged before the courts for allegedly undermining the authority or insulting the octogenarian leader.
MDC spokesperson, Douglas Mwonzora, has also been charged with insulting the President after he allegedly bowed to a portrait of Mugabe, compulsorily displayed
in a court room and enquired about his health condition saying: “Makadii baba? Iri sei
mwiri? Riri sei ziso?” The police translated this to mean “How are you father? How is your health? How is your eye?”
Early this year, President Mugabe had a cataract operation on his eye in Singapore. The police claimed that by uttering such a statement Mwonzora caused ridicule,
contempt and hatred of the “President, his person or his office” as people
who were in court broke into laughter.
Three Chiweshe villagers, Tinashe Chinyemba, Luckson Khumalo and Tafadzwa Chironga have been summoned to Bindura Magistrates’ Court for allegedly distorting one of the pro-Mugabe songs by inserting Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai’s name into its lyrics. The villagers are being charged under Section 41 of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act for conduct likely to provoke the breach of peace.
In Manicaland, another three residents from Patrick Chikoti, Faith Mudiwa and Phillip Dowera were in February charged under the same law for allegedly
singing a modified version of Mbare Chimurenga Choir’s “Nyatsoteerera unzwe kutonga” song at a funeral. The residents were accused of having sung: “Nyatsoterera unzwe kupenga muhofisi mune mboko nyatsoterera unzwe kupenga’ and ‘Ngatishandei nesimba takabatana tibvise kamudhara aka muoffice mupinde president
wenyika Morgan Tsvangirai (Listen carefully to the madman and idiot in the office. Let’s work hard to remove this old man from office and install Tsvangirai).”
Post published in: Politics