Man languishes in prison over Mnangagwa jibe

Philemon Jambaya

A man has been languishing in prison for close to one month after he was arrested last month by Zimbabwe Republic Police officers, who charged with undermining the authority of or insulting President Emmerson Mnangagwa.

Patrick Kingirasi, an unemployed resident of Bindura in Mashonaland Central province, has been languishing in remand prison after he was arrested on November 18, 2023 and charged with undermining the authority of or insulting the President as defined in section 33(2)(b) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act.

Prosecutors alleged that Kingirasi, who is represented by Pride Dzapasi, undermined and insulted President Mnangagwa on 2 October 2023, when he called Edson Chibaya, a fellow Bindura resident, on his mobile phone and made some utterances to the effect that ruling Zanu PF party members were thieves and blamed the ruling party’s leader for causing massive suffering among citizens and for authoring the country’s economic crisis.

Kingirasi is alleged to have shouted at Chibaya in Shona that “Musandiitire zvechimbavha zveZanu PF nava Mnangagwa venyu vari kutipa kutambura,” which prosecuting authorities translated to mean “You must stop the thievery in Zanu PF with your Mnangagwa, who is causing our suffering.”

Prosecutors said Kingirasi’s alleged utterances were unlawful, intentional, abusive, indecent and abusive.

The Bindura resident is the latest among dozens of Zimbabweans, who have been arrested, detained and prosecuted on charges of undermining authority of or insulting the President.

During the reign of the late Robert Mugabe, the country’s late leader, over 200 people were prosecuted and prosecuted on the same and nefarious charges.