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Chiredzi man in trouble for striking Mugabe portrait over employment woes as magistrate refers case to Supreme Court
Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR)
November 01, 2012

Zimbabwean police have charged a Chiredzi man for undermining the authority of or insulting President Robert Mugabe after he allegedly struck the octogenarian leader's portrait in a bar in frustration over failing to secure employment.

Regis Kandawasvika aged 35 years was arrested on Tuesday 30 October 2012 and charged with contravening Section 33 (2) (b) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act after he allegedly held President Mugabe accountable for failing to secure employment despite having obtained six Ordinary Level subjects during his educational pursuits.

According to State prosecutors, Kandawasvika, who appeared at Chiredzi Magistrates Court on Wednesday 31 October 2012, slurred President Mugabe when he struck the Zanu PF leader's portrait hung in Khomanani Bar in Tshovani high density suburb on 2 October 2012 after protesting against his agonising employment circumstance, which he alleges was authored by the former freedom fighter.

Kandawasvika reportedly uttered the following words; "Ndiri kutambura nokuda kwehutongi hwezimudhara iri Robert Mugabe. Ndine masabhujekiti six pa"O" Level kasi handina basa rekuita. Handidi kana kumboriona zimudhara irori. Ikozvino gwendo runo riri kuenda kamwe chete", which the police translated to mean "I am suffering because of the ruling of this old man Cde Robert Mugabe. I have six "O" level subjects but I have no job. I don't want to see this old man. This time he is going one way".

The State says the alleged utterances were unlawful, abusive, indecent and obscene.

After stating these words, which followed an altercation in a bar with Robert Madhambara, a security guard over political party allegiance, prosecutors charged that Kandawasvika then picked bottle tops from the floor and threw them at Mugabe's portrait three times after failing to hit the portrait with a pool table cue stick.

The prosecutors allege that Kandawasvika was only stopped from further pounding Mugabe's portrait by Augustine Mafukidze, a security guard, who informed the police leading to his arrest.

Kandawasvika, who was represented by Blessing Nyamaropa of Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) was granted $20 bail by a Chiredzi Magistrate on 31 October 2012 with conditions not to interfere with State witnesses and to continue residing at the given residential address until the matter is finalised.

Meanwhile, Nyamandlovu Magistrate, Victor Mpofu, on Thursday 1 November 2012 referred to the Supreme Court the case in which Jeritha Nkomo is challenging the constitutionality of her prosecution on charges of undermining the authority of or insulting President Mugabe.

Nkomo, a 36 year-old woman, had been on trial since September after the State summoned her for trial for an offence which was allegedly committed in December 2011.

Nkomo, who was represented by Lizwe Jamela of ZLHR, is alleged to have uttered some unprintable words as she criticised President Mugabe for allegedly discriminating her and her MDC party supporters from accessing agricultural inputs such as seeds.

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