The trial of a Bulawayo man, Vikas Mavhudzi, facing charges of posting a message on Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai’s Facebook wall allegedly encouraging him to topple President Robert Mugabe through mass protests, was on Friday again postponed to July 13.
It has emerged the police docket on the matter has not been completed, resulting in the aState failing to start the trial.
Mavhudzi was again not asked to plead when he appeared before Bulawayo magistrate Gideon Ruvetsa.
Charges against him are that on February 13 at about 2:10pm, Mavhudzi allegedly posted a message on Tsvangirai’s Facebook wall saying:
“I’m overwhelmed ,don’t know what to say, Mr PM. What happened in Egypt is sending shockwaves to all dictators around the world. No weapon but unity of purpose. Worth emulating, hey.”
Police allegedly received a tip-off from an unknown caller on February 24, advising them that Mavhudzi had sent a message which constituted a security threat to Tsvangirai via cellphone.
Acting on that information, police officers arrested him.
They searched for the message in his cellphone and allegedly found it. Mavhudzi was arrested and detained.
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Police said he had no right to send a message advocating for the takeover or attempting to take over the government by unconstitutional means or usurping the functions of the government. Mavhudzi is on $200 bail.
Jerry Mutsindikwa is appearing for the State and Lizwe Jamela and Nosimilo Chanayiwa of Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights are representing Mavhudzi.
