Mugabe 'old goat' charges thrown out

A BULAWAYO MDC-T provincial executive member was on Friday acquitted of charges of insulting President Robert Mugabe at a burial in November last year.

Tsepiso Mpofu, MDC-T Bulawayo provincial organising secretary, was nabbed for allegedly saying "Mugabe is an old goat who has destroyed the economy."

Zanu PF supporters attending a separate burial ceremony nearby allegedly overhead Mpofu insulting Mugabe and reported her to the police leading to her arrest and detention at Mzilikazi Police Station.

Mpofu, who was out of custody on free bail, faced charges of violating Section 33 of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act for publicly undermining Mugabe.

Lawyer Kossam Ncube of Ncube and Partners said the State on Friday withdrew the Mugabe insult charges against Mpofu due to lack of evidence.

Mpofu told Southern Eye yesterday that she was elated with the withdrawal of the charges saying she had no case to answer in the first place.

"The case against me was always going to collapse because it was cooked up.

"It was just a waste of my time. I am, however, happy about this development," Mpofu said.

Mpofu is one of the many Zimbabweans who have been arrested and dragged to the Courts for either "insulting" Mugabe or undermining his authority.

Last year Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) said it was worried by the rate at which State security agents were arresting citizens on charges of insulting Mugabe.

The Constitutional Court late last year made a landmark ruling saying some sections of the Criminal, Law (Codification and Reform) Act were unconstitutional.