Mliswa complains about police abuse of law

OUTSPOKEN Norton independent legislator Temba Mliswa, who appeared in court today, says police are abusing the law by arresting him for allegedly violating Covid-19 lockdown regulations following a press conference at his Borrowdale home in Harare yesterday.

Mliswa's arrest came just after he had accused State Security minister Owen "Mudha" Ncube and the Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) of plotting to silence him through a honey-trap using his former girlfriend Susan Mutami.

He also lambasted Local Government minister July Moyo over his presidential ambition manoeuvres.

During a press conference, Mliswa dared the CIO to investigate allegations by Mutami, concerning President Emmerson Mnangagwa and his family, to prove that the organisation is not involved in the plot.

Soon after that, police pounced on him. The police said the legislator had contravened "section 5 (3) (a) of provisions of the Public Health (Covid-19 prevention, containment and treatment) (National Lockdown) (Consolidation and Ammendment) regulations...that is unlawful gathering, knowing that such gathering is prohibited".

On his warned and cautioned statement, Mliswa denied the allegation, saying his arrest was an abuse of the legal system.

"There were about 20 journalists in attendance, which is below the threshold of 30 allowed by the law, and this is an abuse of the legal system by a system bent on silencing me. If this was genuine law enforcement all the persons present should have been arrested instead of singling me out for arrest," Mliswa said.

Mliswa had told journalists – who he bitterly criticised amid a chilling call for their detention for writing falsehoods, Mutami, who has been giving statements to the media alleging that Mliswa was, among other shenanigans, plotting to kill Zanu-PF officials, engaging in extortionist, abusing women and being sexually deviant, is part of a CIO "project" deployed by Ncube.

He said the plot to silence him was a result of Zanu-PF factional fights, particularly in Mnangagwa's Midlands home province.

"I've written to the director-general of Central Intelligence Organisation, I am challenging the Central Intelligence Organisation to investigate all the allegations. If they don't investigate, they're part of this project. You cannot have a situation where a President's name is just brought up, where somebody says Temba Mliswa is using the President's name to extort. Who have I extorted? At what point? Does that not call for the President's Office to then interview the person?" Mliswa said.

"I'm happy to be a Member of Parliament. I do my work effectively. I have no ambition whatsoever. But knowing me, if I had the ambition, why not? I would tell you that this is not a crime. If I challenge the President to be president, it is not a crime, by the way. So don't make something which is democratic a crime. I speak my mind, I speak what I want. But in essence, I support the President while he's in power."

Mliswa said accusations of wanting to assassinate the son of the President and Local Government minister July Moyo were meant to discredit him and smear his name.
He said Mutami was in constant communication with Ncube and moved around with CIO officers.

Phone calls by The NewsHawks to seek Ncube's comment on his alleged involvement in the plot went unanswered.