Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa addresses mourners gathered at former President Robert Mugabe’s ‘Blue Roof’ residence in Harare, Zimbabwe, September 12, 2019. REUTERS/Philimon Bulawayo/File Photo
Baison, who was represented by Kossam Ncube of Zimbabwe Lawyers for
Human Rights, was arrested by ZRP members on Monday 27 April 2020, who
charged him with undermining authority of or insulting President
Mnangagwa as defined in section 33(2)(a)(i) of the Criminal Law
(Codification and Reform) Act when he allegedly criticised the ZANU PF
party leader on Sunday 26 April 2020 while he was at his residence.
Baison, who appeared before Magistrate Muchuchutu-Guwuriro at Harare
Magistrates Court, was granted ZWL$500 bail and ordered to report at
Marlborough Police Station once a week on Fridays, not to interfere
with any witnesses and to continue residing at his given residential
address.
Baison returns to court on 3 June 2020.
Baison is the latest person to be arrested and charged with
undermining authority of or insulting President Mnangagwa after he
allegedly circulated a message on WhatsApp in which the ZANU PF party
leader was accused of ineptitude.
On Friday 24 April 2020, Chrispen Rambu of Chipinge in Manicaland
province, who is an opposition MDC Alliance party Councillor for Ward
8 in Chipinge urban constituency was charged with insulting and
undermining authority of President Mnangagwa when he allegedly
forwarded a message onto a local WhatsApp group giving praise to South
African President Cyril Ramaphosa at the expense of Mnangagwa.