FORMER Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association chairman, Jabulani Sibanda, who is facing trial for insulting President Robert Mugabe will return to court in May.
BY DESMOND CHINGARANDE
Sibanda, who reportedly insulted Mugabe at a rally in Mutare in 2014 will have to wait for the determination of a Constitutional Court application.
The State sought the postponement, with the consent of the former war veterans’ leader, saying they were waiting for the determination of his ConCourt application before proceeding to trial.
It is the State’s case that on October 27, at Hubert Mine in Mutasa, Sibanda addressed an illegal gathering of war veterans including senior Zanu PF officials in Manicaland meant for the reburial of former freedom fighter. It is alleged that he went on to address the gathering despite official communication that the event had been postponed by then Home Affairs minister Kembo Mohadi.
The State alleges Sibanda told the gathering that Mugabe and his wife Grace were plotting “a bedroom coup” to remove the Vice-President Joice Mujuru. Mujuru, Sibanda is alleged to have claimed, would then be replaced by the First Lady.
It is alleged Sibanda went on to say he was not prepared for that, as power was not “sexually transmitted”.
Reacting to attacks on Mujuru, who was later to be stampeded out of office along with other senior party leaders on accusations they had been plotting to oust Mugabe, Sibanda reportedly said: “All able-bodied people should stand up against that. You can’t belong to a group that insults a Vice-President of the country. You can’t insult a person like that even if you are from different political parties, but you can encounter on policies. I won’t tell you where I am, but I am on the ground. I am not going to allow any coup, both in the boardroom and in the bedroom,” Sibanda was quoted as having said.
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“If President Mugabe does wrong, l won’t insult Grace Mugabe. So you can’t insult Joice Mujuru because she is not Solomon Mujuru, who they accuse of all those things. You can’t attack MaNdlovu, my wife, because of my wrongs.”
Sebastian Mutizirwa appeared for the State.
