via Woman detained for calling ZANU PF activists ‘Mugabe’s children’ | SW Radio Africa by Tichaona Sibanda November 5, 2013
A woman in Bulawayo was on Tuesday detained by the police for calling a group of ZANU PF women activists, ‘Mugabe’s children.’
Tsepiso Mpofu, a 36 year-old member of the MDC-T’s provincial executive in Bulawayo, was picked up at Westpark Cemetary where she was attending a burial ceremony for a deceased relative. She is being detained at Mzilikazi police station.
Mpofu, a well known and fearless political activist, was easily recognized by women dressed in ZANU PF regalia who were also attending a separate burial at Westpark.
Our correspondent Lionel Saungweme told us that eight women in ZANU PF regalia started taunting Mpofu, labelling her as ‘Tsvangirai’s girl.’
The women continued abusing Mpofu telling her ‘uTsvangirai samunika umfazi’ (we gave Tsvangirai a wife) referring to the ex-premeir’s wife, Elizabeth whose father is a high ranking official in Robert Mugabe’s party.
Mpofu responded to the taunts by hitting back and likening her opponents to ‘Mugabe’s children.’ She said: ‘Yebo bantwana ka Mugabe’ (how are you Mugabe’s children).
This incensed the women who rushed to the police to make a report. A team of police details was dispatched to the cemetery where Mpofu was arrested. Police charged her with undermining or insulting the authority of the President.
The police applied the same law that was deemed unconstitutional by the country’s highest court last week. The Constitutional Court said prosecutors should not be overzealous about charging people who comment about President Robert Mugabe, ‘in drinking halls and other social places.’
At least 80 cases have reportedly been filed in recent years under the law. Under Section 33 of the Criminal Codification and Reform Act, a person could be jailed for up to a year or fined $100 for insulting the president’s office.
COMMENTS
The snakepit at our new chikurubi beckons these gross well fed prostitutes of gay mugabe
Idi Amin chaiye…or is it Banda of Malawi, who used to get people locked in for saying anything against Ngwazi. Indeed you are being “ruled” in Zimbabwe, we feel for you….here, I am much free among people of a different colour from me. I can say as much as I want about the national leader and not be harassed…he would actually talk to me nicely and try to win me to his side so that he can persuade me to vote for him next time round. Poor Zimbabweans. I am glad I made the right decision to leave Mugabe’s Zimbabwe.
What a story! Hope story teller telling us Bull-Dust, In cemetry it started, and offender remained in cemetry until picked by quick police…..
Kubota Masimpe!, Kubija Mbuzi!
Truth is beautiful! lies are ugly!
I find nothing insulting about the statement this women made.Infact she promoted his status because in real terms 90 year old men are grandfathers or great-grandfathers
Waresvei? Aaa mapurisawo njere shoma ….. Aaa tokwanirei. Kunge imi zvakakunakirai ?
ZRP zimupurisa rakapusa being overzealous by using a law deemed unconstitution all to please non but the serpent.These insults are a clear sign of anger by a disenfranhised nation whose ballot was stolen on july 31
Mapurisa emuZimbabwe marombe.
I do not get it. It should be an insult to the president that his supporters are refusing to be called his children. What do they want to be called?
Wekari are you Tswangirai’s child. However, the insult is not on the President but on the ZPF women.
They want to be called by their father’s names and totems. Its equaly an insult to call Eric Knight a son of Morgan. Although i don’t support arrests for such things, it is always prudent to control our tongues. There are so many polite ways of airing our views without calling people names.
How pathetic are you to even try to justify this. Zimbabwe is for all Zimbabweans and only a narrowed minded fool would even think that close to 50% of the population should be ostracised for their beliefs. People like you make the Hitler seem harmless!
Ava vana vezimbabwe vari kukandana mashoko. Zimbabwe ndeya vaMugabe – Tony Blair keep your England and I will keep my Zimbabwe. Zvavari kunetserana handizvioni. Maturity should prevail
Jrr56 we dont want or need lawlessness people like you. You mind is full of freedom of hate language, freedom to insult, freedom maybe to walk naked.
Rubbish. Why don’t you shut up already!!!
Mwenawevhu Jrr56 said freedom of insult should be allowed even to himself I assume
Shebha calling someone a street girl is it not insult ? Why should certain people get away with it ? This is the sort of injustice that we are mourning about . It is illegal to verbally abuse anyone . People must be allowed to express there feelings . We need to ask ourselves questions why there is so much hostility .
shame shame shame on you ZRP
shame shame shame on you ZANU PF
shame shame shame shame we say
You are right Tabvuma insulting someone should be illegal. If you talk of selective application of the law we are together, but saying its one’s democratic right to express freedom of speech by insulting some one is totally wrong.
Would this make it blasphemy to call people God’s children? people are dying and suffering and we waste our time and resources on childish squabbles amongs women…
Would this make it blasphemy to call people God’s children?
The problem with the Zimbabwean Police, they think by arresting people who oppose Mugabe they think they will silence the people, instead they will make the people hate them to the last degree. Police should know their duties not to concetrate on things like someone had said something bad about Mugabe. He is a human being like anyone on earth. Being a President does not mean that you are above the law. Wake-up you guys, know what you are after instead of harrasing people for no reason.
shame, shame, shame
Chatunga kachatonga chete……………………
if u saying it was an insult then the complainants shd. also b arrested for insulting Tswangirai becoz they did not give him a wife
When God created us, he did not say when you become a leader you should harm other people and oppress them. Those in Authority, they think they own the people of Zimbabwe. That is very wrong, whatever you do, will come to hunt you again beleive me. Stop harrasing other human being for the sake of your gridness. We were all created by God and no one has power to judge another person besides the creater. Stop evil things now, do not continue to do such evil things in your life. You are being watched, and the day shall come. When the day comes, you will suffer to the last.
HAKUNA MASAPA HAPA!ZRP IS SICK TO THE BONE!
Lets hear what the “loyal son” Obert Mpofu says when a group of street girls are called his father’s children. Tsepiso you will rot in jail you culturally supposed to be a grand child to someone.
Does saying “bantwana bakaMgabe” hurt? My linguistic analysis is actually challenged here. Maybe those who did “PECLIST” for their MBA thesis at a college somewhere along seventh street wolud be able to defend their master. Sure Tsepiso how dare you call the Matebele people children of somebody who doesn’t know the difference between “sosinke and sisonke” despite having been a teacher for sometime in the region. Either way you loose poor girl.
If they bring langauge specialist to the courts, take this opportunity to ask them to analyse the statement that goes, “munokanganwa chazuro nehope” uttered by Mugabe to the same people at the birth of the MDC.
A leader should not harm or oppress its people, this is wrong, we need a change in Zimbabwe to stop this abuse and inhuman.