ZIMBABWEAN authorities are pressing ahead with the prosecution of a police officer for allegedly accusing former President Robert Mugabe of being “too old to rule” the country and questioning the nonagenarian’s leader’s marriage choice.
Sergeant Thompson Joseph Mloyie of the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) will on Wednesday 31 January 2018 stand trial before Superintendent Makunike at Harare Central Police Station for allegedly contravening paragraph 35 of the Schedule of the Police Act (Chapter 11:10), that is, acting in an unbecoming manner prejudicial to discipline or reasonably likely to bring discredit to the Police Service.
The ZRP claimed that Mloyie discredited the Police Service when he was arrested on 05 March 2016 at Cranborne Police Station and charged with undermining the authority of or insulting the President in contravention of Section 33 (2) (a) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act Chapter 9:23.
Mloyie, who is represented by Jeremiah Bamu and Noble Chinhanu of Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, was arrested after he allegedly uttered the words: “President Mugabe achembera haachakwanisi kutonga nyika ino. Ndiye arikuonzera (sic) kutambura munyika ino uye akaroora hure Grace Mugabe,” which the ZRP translated to mean “‘President Mugabe is too old and incapable of leading this country and is the cause of the suffering going on in this country and is married to a prostitute, Grace Mugabe.”
The ZRP claimed that Mloyie was under the influence of alcohol, when he uttered the alleged offensive words.
The ZRP has lined up two witnesses namely Sergeant Stanley Makunda and Sergeant Amos Muchenjero, who are all members of the Police Service to testify against Mloyie.
Source: Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights
