Duo in court for unpalatable comments over anti-sanctions march

TWO people were on Monday 28 October 2019 set free after they were
arrested and charged with undermining police authority and defeating
or obstructing the course of justice for allegedly passing on some
offensive comments about the anti-sanction march organised by
government last week.

ZRP officers arrested Charles Ngwena, the Councillor for Ward 4 in
Marondera Central constituency and Paul Chikuni, a municipal police
officer employed by Marondera Municipality on Saturday 26 October 2019 and charged them with undermining police authority as defined in Section 177(a) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act or
alternatively with defeating or obstructing the course of justice as
defined in Section 184(1)(a) of the Criminal Law (Codification and
Reform) Act.

Prosecutors told Marondera Magistrate Patience Chirimo that Ngwena and Chikuni, who were represented by Tinashe Chinopfukutwa of Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, undermined police authority when he questioned why the ZRP officers were arresting some vendors who were struggling to make ends and yet they were not bothered aboutapprehending President Emmerson Mnangagwa whose government organisedan anti-sanctions protest last week.

Ngwena reportedly uttered the following words; “Mapurisa munopenga
munosunga vanhu vanotambura endai munosunga Emmerson ari busy kuita ma “anti sanctions” which was translated to mean “Police you are mad. Youare arresting poor people. Go and arrest Emmerson who is organising anti-sanctions”.

On the charge of defeating or obstructing the course of justice,
prosecutors accused Ngwena and Chikuni of hindering three ZRP officers from executing their duties when they grabbed a pushcart containing some bananas and which belongs to Patrick Chabvata, a vendor and pushed it away.

The incident reportedly took place near Marondera Municipality offices
as the ZRP officers were escorting Chabvata to Marondera Police
Station after arresting him for illegal vending.

Prosecutors claimed that an altercation ensued between Ngwena, Chikuni and the three police officers and this attracted members of the public who gathered around the scene resulting in the law enforcements agents leaving the scene fearing for their safety.

Ngwena and Chikuni, prosecutors charged, had no right to act in the
manner they did.
Magistrate Chirimo granted $100 bail each to Ngwena and Chikuni and
ordered them to continue residing at their given residential addresses
and not to interfere with State witnesses until the matter is
finalised.

The duo returns to court on Monday 11 November 2019, where their trial is expected to commence.