A librarian at Masvingo Teachers College has landed in trouble after allegedly using unprintable words to insult President Robert Mugabe.
Joel Mugari (23) appeared at the Masvingo Magistrates’ Court on Friday facing a charge of undermining the authority of or insulting the President.
Magistrate Thomas Mandityira remanded him out of custody for trial yesterday, but the matter failed to proceed after the magistrates embarked on countrywide strike.
The strike has paralysed the justice delivery system. On March 27, at around 0113 hours, Mugari, who was at a musical show in Masvingo, had a misunderstanding with Geoffrey Murire and Zanu PF provincial secretary for finance Jeppy Jaboon.
Mugari allegedly scolded Murire, who was wearing a Zanu PF T-shirt bearing President Mugabe’s portrait, with unprintable words denigrating the Zanu PF leader. Murire and Jaboon reported the matter to police, leading to Mugari’s arrest.
Mugari will appear in court for trial on April 28, assuming the magistrates’ strike would have ended. Frank Chirairo prosecuted.
Cases of people arrested for insulting President Mugabe have been on the increase in Masvingo.
In 2008, Phineas Magago (35) appeared before magistrate Learnmore Mapiye after allegedly uttering similar remarks.
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The year before, over six people were arrested for allegedly making remarks deemed by the law to be insulting to the President.
One of them, Selestine Jengeta, a teacher at Victoria High School, was arrested in a police bar after he allegedly wished President Mugabe dead.
