Tomana Charges Prosecutors, Mugabe Biscuit Man Freed

Zimbabwean prosecutors and court officers embarked on a strike on 4 October demanding salaries comparable to those received by magistrates, paralysing the legal system. The prosecutors staged demonstrations outside Tomana’s office and at magistrates courts dotted around the country.

The prosecutors bemoaned that magistrates received allowances not received by other workers.

The prosecutors called off the strike last Friday and returned to work on Monday after giving the Public Service Commission some time to address their grievances.

But Tomana on Wednesday served five leaders of ZILOA with letters accusing them of misconduct and inciting law officers to embark on an industrial action. The AG demanded written responses to the charges.

The six leaders are ZILOA president Leopol Mudisi, Patrobs Dube, Musekiwa Mbanje, Dereck Charamba and Mehluli Tshuma.

Wildcat strikes are common in the country as state employees protest against poor salaries.

Meanwhile in another court case in Mbare a magistrate has freed a 52 year-old Harare resident, Zebediah Mpofu, who was under prosecution for allegedly undermining the authority of insulting President Robert Mugabe after his trial failed to commence.

Mpofu, a general hand labourer at a private security firm was arrested in October 2010 after he allegedly taunted a workmate that he owed a fruity drink and a packet of biscuits he was enjoying for lunch to economic policies spearheaded by Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) leader and Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai.

Magistrate Mudondo turned down an application for further remand filed by State prosecutors seeking to postpone Mpofu’s trial after State witnesses failed to turn up in court including the complainant in the matter.

State witnesses and the complainant, Gilbert Matarutse-a known Zanu (PF) supporter failed to turn up in court for the fourth time since August when the trial was scheduled to commence. The trial was all along being postponed to allow the witnesses and the complainant to appear in court.

The State alleged that Mpofu also stated that “President Mugabe had ruined the country and that he was going to be dead by December 2010 then Morgan Tsvangirai would take over as President of Zimbabwe.”

The prosecutors charged that by uttering such statements Mpofu had undermined the authority or insulted Mugabe.