MDC-T youth leader Solomon Madzore who, is being charged for allegedly labelling President Robert Mugabe a “limping donkey” is likely to spend the weekend in custody after his initial remand hearing failed to kick off following a power outage at the Bindura Magistrates Courts yesterday.
Report by Staff Reporter
Madzore was arrested in Harare on Thursday and taken to Bindura for questioning in connection with the alleged insult.
“We are doubtful that we’ll go to court today because there is no electricity to process court papers. They were saying we might appear tomorrow, but seeing that tomorrow is a Saturday that will probably not happen. We anticipate that the case will go to court on Monday,” said Madzore’s lawyer Charles Kwaramba.
“He (Madzore) is being charged with undermining the office of the President under Section 33 of the Criminal, Law and Codification Act. The words he is being charged for are: “Mugabe is a donkey that is limping. He is holding back (Prime Minister) Morgan Tsvangirai from ruling effectively.”
The State alleges Madzore made the remarks while addressing an MDC-T campaign rally at Mushumbi Pools in Mbire Constituency, Mashoanaland Central province, last Saturday.
It is a criminal offence in Zimbabwe to insult the person or office of the President.
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SAVE VALLEY HUNTING PERMIT ROW RAGES ON
A HIGH COURT chamber hearing into a legal wrangle between a Masvingo business consortium, Save Valley Conservancy, and government over non-issuance of a hunting permit failed to take off as scheduled on Thursday after the State failed to file its heads of arguments on time.
Report by Senior Court Reporter
The consortium has sued government representatives Deputy Prime Minister Arthur Mutambara and Environment and Natural Resources minister Francis Nhema accusing them of taking long to grant its members a hunting permit. The hunters claim the delays had cost them about $6 million in lost business.
In its application filed on April 10, the consortium cited Mutambara as chairperson of the Cabinet taskforce committee charged with restoring order in the wildlife conservancy following interference in its activities by Zanu PF politicians.
Parks and Wildlife Management Authority is also cited as a respondent.
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ETHIOPIAN LOCKED UP FOR ILLEGAL ENTRY
AN Ethiopian who was arrested in Bulawayo for illegal entry and stay in Zimbabwe was yesterday locked up in remand prison pending trial set for Wednesday next week. Gethune Gatiso of number 60 Hosana Street Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, was not asked to plead when he appeared before Bulawayo magistrate Takundwa Witness Mtetwa yesterday. The magistrate remanded him in custody to May 8 for trial.
Report by Silas Nkala
It is the State’s case that on April 28 this year, detectives based at Bulawayo Central Police Station were on patrol when they heard that Gatiso had entered the country without travel documents and they were advised that he was in Bulawayo’s central business district.
Gatiso was arrested at the corner of 4th Avenue and Fort Street in the city after he failed to produce valid travel documents.
