By Staff Writer

ZIMBABWEAN authorities have stepped up their crackdown against

perceived opponents of President Emmerson Mnangagwa after arresting

and charging a Bulawayo man with undermining authority of or insulting

the ZANU PF party leader.



Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) officers on Friday 26 October 2018

arrested Wisdom Mkwananzi and charged him with undermining authority

of or insulting President Mnangagwa as defined in section 33(1)(a) of

the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act Chapter 9:23 after he

allegedly stated during a public hearing conducted at Rainbow Hotel in

Bulawayo by the Commission of Inquiry into the 01 August 2018 killing

of civilians, that he had been orphaned because the ZANU PF party

leader had masterminded the killing of his parents during the

Gukurahundi mass killings in the early 80’s.



The law enforcement agents alleged that the 32 year-old Mkwananzi,

allegedly pointed at President Mnangagwa’s portrait, which was pasted

onto the wall during his testimony before the former South African

leader Kgalema Motlanthe-led Commission of Inquiry into the

post-election violence and stated that “I am an orphan because of this

man, he killed my parents.”



ZRP officers charged that by uttering such a statement, Mkwananzi, who

was represented by Jabulani Mhlanga and Tinashe Runganga of Zimbabwe

Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR), engendered a feeling of hostility

towards or caused hatred or ridicule of President Mnangagwa.



Mkwananzi was also charged with lying under oath as defined in section

10 of the Justice of Peace and Commissioners of Oaths Act Chapter

7:09.



The police officers claimed that Mkwananzi unlawfully and

intentionally supplied a false name to the Commission of Inquiry after

he allegedly told the probe team that his name is Siphatha Mandla,

which is different from the name, which appears on his national

identity card.



Mkwananzi also faces a third charge of assault as defined in section

89 of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act, where ZRP

officers alleged that he intentionally bit Luckmore Dube once on the

right hand intending to cause bodily harm.



Mkwananzi, who appeared in court on Saturday 27 October 2018, returns

to court on Monday 29 October 2018 for a determination of his bail

application.

Mkwananzi becomes the second man to be charged with undermining

authority of or insulting President Mnangagwa inside one month after

ZRP officers arrested Alexander Samuel Chidzedzere of Kariba in

Mashonaland West province early this month, and charged him with

undermining authority or insulting President Mnangagwa after he

alleged that the ruling ZANU PF party had won the 30 July harmonised

elections through rigging.



Meanwhile, ZLHR lawyers on Saturday 27 October 2018 secured the

release on bail of three Bulawayo men Marshal Sibanda, Welcome Moyo

and Venat Ncube, who were arrested on Friday 26 October 2018 and

charged with committing public violence as defined in section 36(1)(a)

of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act Chapter 9:23.



The trio was also charged with disrupting a public gathering as

defined in section 44(a) Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act

Chapter 9:23 after they allegedly engaged in a disorderly and riotous

conduct intending to disrupt the Commission of Inquiry proceedings.



Sibanda, Moyo and Ncube were granted $150 bail each and remanded to 13

November 2018 for commencement of their trial.

