Africa-Press – Zimbabwe. A prison officer was Wednesday arraigned before magistrate Tapiwa Banda for posting on Facebook wishing madness on President Emmerson Mnangagwa and others who knelt before the statue of the first Chimurenga heroine Mbuya Charwe, the spirit medium of Mbuya Nehanda.
The 29-year-old Peter Kudzai Mushonga based in Chinhoyi was facing charges of contravening Section 33 of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act Chapter 9:23, which relates to “undermining authority or insulting the President.”
The court heard Mushonga posted a comment through his FaceBook account on 26 May 2021 wishing the president to get mad. The post that was in the Shona language reads:
_Dai vakapenga vese vapfugamira chidhori ichooo [I wish madness to befall all those who have knelt before the (Nehanda) idol.]_
The state, led by prosecutor Irene Mapfumo, claims Mushonga made the comment about or concerning the President “realising that there was a real risk or possibility the statement may engender feelings of hostility towards or cause hatred, contempt or ridicule of the President, whether in person or in respect of his office”.
Mushonga was granted $5 000 bail coupled with stringent reporting conditions. The matter was remanded to 23 June for routine remand.
More: Pindula News; NewZimbabwe
