Prison officer in soup for Mugabe insult

via Prison officer in soup for Mugabe insult 13 October 2014

A PRISON officer based at Harare Central Prison is facing the sack for allegedly denigrating President Robert Mugabe.

The officer, only identified as Mandava, allegedly told colleagues during a beer drink at the prison bar called Zuva NeZuva near Morris Depot in Newlands that “Mugabe had failed us”.

Two police officers who heard the remark then instructed a senior prison officer, Chief Prison Officer Vengesai, who was in the vicinity, to arrest Mandava.

Mandava is set to be charged under Section 33 (2) (a) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act Chapter 9:23 which makes it an offence for anyone to denigrate the person or office of the President.

Hundreds of Zimbabweans have been dragged to court for violating that section of the law but no one has ever been convicted.

A prison officer who witnessed the arrest accused the two members of the Police Protection Unit (PPU) of being overzealous in enforcing the law.

“What Mandava did was nothing surprising at the bar. In fact what he said did not bother us because we often discuss political matters while drinking and there is nothing wrong with that,” he said.

“CPO Vengesai is now the arresting detail and internal court hearing papers have been prepared for Mandava. He is expected to appear before a disciplinary court this week. If convicted by the disciplinary court he risks being dismissed,” another senior prison officer said.