via Mugabe ‘old goat’ charges thrown out January 13, 2014 NewsDay by Nqobani Ndlovu
A BULAWAYO MDC-T provincial executive member was on Friday acquitted of charges of insulting President Robert Mugabe at a burial in November last year.
Tsepiso Mpofu, MDC-T Bulawayo provincial organising secretary, was nabbed for allegedly saying “Mugabe is an old goat who has destroyed the economy.”
Zanu PF supporters attending a separate burial ceremony nearby allegedly overhead Mpofu insulting Mugabe and reported her to the police leading to her arrest and detention at Mzilikazi Police Station.
Mpofu, who was out of custody on free bail, faced charges of violating Section 33 of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act for publicly undermining Mugabe.
Lawyer Kossam Ncube of Ncube and Partners said the State on Friday withdrew the Mugabe insult charges against Mpofu due to lack of evidence.
Mpofu told Southern Eye yesterday that she was elated with the withdrawal of the charges saying she had no case to answer in the first place.
“The case against me was always going to collapse because it was cooked up.
“It was just a waste of my time. I am, however, happy about this development,” Mpofu said.
Mpofu is one of the many Zimbabweans who have been arrested and dragged to the Courts for either “insulting” Mugabe or undermining his authority.
Last year Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) said it was worried by the rate at which State security agents were arresting citizens on charges of insulting Mugabe.
The Constitutional Court late last year made a landmark ruling saying some sections of the Criminal, Law (Codification and Reform) Act were unconstitutional.
COMMENTS
It achieved the purpose of intimadating other zimbabwean so that they will never ever say Ian Smith is a racist, because they would go to Gonakudzingwa. No more freedon of Speech
I don’t blame anybody who hails an insult to anyone in Zimbabwe after all we all learned from the best. The expeletives that spew forth like projectile diarrhoea from our leader’s mouth about other people( especially towards anyone in opposition, Homosexuals, Zimbabweans in the diaspora or the West) defy gravity. I say if you can dish it you should be man enough to lump it.
It is not the right thing to do and is hurtful and I think the ‘dear leader’ should know better and lead by example.
He is an old goat for real. They can come get me, if they wish!
Gorongoza where are you so that I can shake your hand and give you a parliamentary seat for not being a coward. SAY IT AS IT IS.
He’s a lot more then just an old goat. He’s a selfish, old a&&hole.
he is a pig
I think it extremely harsh to call him an old goat. I say what has the poor old goat done to be likened to him? It just chews the cud and minds its own business.