'Only imbeciles will believe Mugabe is a goblin'

Chief justice Godfrey Chidyausiku yesterday put the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) to task to explain whether it was constitutional for the State to prosecute politicians for name-calling the Head of State "Gamatox" or "weevil" while addressing political rallies.

Justice Chidyausiku made the statement in apparent reference to the case against former Nyanga North MP Douglas Mwonzora, who stands accused of labelling President Robert Mugabe a "goblin", during a rally held in Nyanga 2009.

Politicians call each other names such as weevils and Gamatox, are you suggesting that you prosecute people for that?" Justice Chidyausiku asked the Prosecutor-General's Representative Admore Nyazamba.

"If somebody calls the President a weevil or Gamatox, are you going to prosecute that person? It is part of the trade of politics. Why are you bringing such matters to the Constitutional Court? The President is not a goblin and we all know that. Why should the law bother itself about it? You have to be an imbecile to believe that the President is a goblin."

But Nyazamba said in Mwonzora's case, he had allegedly labelled the Head of State a goblin which "feeds on human blood".

The Supreme Court in 2013 had scrapped the controversial insult law saying it breaches people's rights. But the Constitutional Court had given vice president and Justice Minister Emmerson Mnangagwa the right to appeal.

Mnangagwa subsequently appealed arguing that the laws must not be revoked since they protect the reputation of the president and the matter is yet to be concluded.

More than 70 Zimbabweans have over the past 5 years been arrested and charged with insulting Mr. Mugabe.