MDC Senator Accused Of Insulting Mugabe Scores Victory

Komichi was hauled before the courts last month on charges of undermining the authority of or insulting President Mugabe after he allegedly sang a song with the lyrics: “Chimurume chagire chandifungisa dhongi rangu rakafa kare kare,” which the police construed to mean “Grace’s husband reminds me of my donkey which died long long back referring to His Excellence (sic) President Robert Gabriel Mugabe who is husband of the first Lady Comrade Grace Mugabe”.

Police allege that Komichi sang the “insulting” song when he addressed a rally at Chiwaridzo Shopping Centre in Bindura in January.

But Komichi was removed from remand Monday after prominent human rights lawyer Alec Muchadehama applied for refusal to place the non-constituency Senator on remand on the basis that the facts submitted by the State did not disclose any reasonable grounds that he committed an offence.

Muchadehama told Radio VOP that the Magistrate who presided over the case removed his client from remand after ruling that the facts as alleged by the State did not constitute an offence.

“The Magistrate said Komichi did not say the alleged words. The Magistrate said it was an insinuation by the State. She said the facts were so vague and hence Komichi can not be placed on remand,” said Muchadehama.

In January prosecutor in Mutare postponed the trial of Nyanga North legislator Douglas Mwonzora, who had been arraigned before the courts on allegations that he called the octogenarian leader a “goblin” at a rally he addressed at Ruwangwe Growth Point in Nyanga North constituency on 21 March 2009.

Another MDC senior official, Makoni South Member of Parliament Pishai Muchauraya, was also last week hauled to court on allegations of insulting Mugabe when he addressed a rally in 2006 and called him an old leader who was suffering from diarhoea.