Insulting Grace lands prison officer in hot soup

via Insulting Grace lands prison officer in hot soup – NewsDay Zimbabwe January 15, 2015 by Kenneth Nyangani

A SENIOR officer in the Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services (ZPCS), Superintendent Rueben Zimondi, is reportedly in trouble for making derogatory remarks against First Lady Grace Mugabe.

Zimondi, who is in charge of the prisons’ farm in Mutare, reportedly appeared before an internal disciplinary committee led by Assistant Commissioner Nelson Chikwature on three occasions this week facing charges of labelling Grace “a dog” and accusing her of causing all current problems rocking the Zanu PF boat.

It is not clear whether Zimondi is related to
ZPCS Commissioner-General Retired Major General Paradzai Zimondi.

His case of contravening section 3 (46) of the Prisons Staff Disciplinary Regulations 1984 reads: “Being guilty of any other act, conduct, disorder or neglect of duty to prejudice of good order and discipline” and was filed under charge sheet number 2921911P.

The charge sheet states that being a member of the service, Zimondi did wrongfully and unlawfully utter derogatory words against First Lady Grace Mugabe, saying all problems being experienced in Zanu PF had been caused by President Robert Mugabe’s wife.

Zimondi is alleged to have uttered the remarks on December 5 last year at Mutare Prison Farm in the company of some of officers and civilians while watching a television programme where Speaker of the House of Assembly Jacob Mudenda was addressing delegates at the Zanu PF congress about the alleged plot to assassinate Mugabe.

Zimondi’s colleagues later reported him to his superiors, culminating in the ongoing disciplinary hearings.

His lawyer Ashel Mutungura was not available for comment yesterday, but sources said the hearings were ending today.