MDC-T youth leader likens Mugabe to a baboon

The Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) youth assembly chairperson for Matabeleland South province was on Wednesday arrested for calling President Robert Mugabe a baboon during a rally held on Saturday.

Morgan Ncube, who is also Beitbridge town councillor, belongs to Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai's MDC-T.

The rally was held in Gwanda at the homestead of MDC-T's Matabeleland South organising secretary, Solani Moyo.

Liberty Mcijo from the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) confirmed Ncube's arrest, saying the MDC T youth leader is appearing at the Plumtree Magistrates Court on Friday.


"Ncube has been arrested and he is detained at Plumtree police station on charges of undermining the authority of Mugabe at our rally at Stanmore on Sunday. These are just trumped up charges, Zanu-PF is using police to victimise our members, because as far as we know Ncube never insulted Mugabe during that rally," Clifford Hlatyawayo, the MDC-T national youth assembly spokesperson, told Radio VOP.

It is an offence under Zimbabwe's laws to undermine or insult Mugabe who has ruled since the country's independence from Britain in 1980.

A number of Zimbabweans have been arrested over the past few years for insulting Mugabe. Last year Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR), said it was worried by the rate at which state security agencies were arresting citizens on charges of insulting Mugabe, whose cases the organisation had been receiving every day.

A Zimbabwean vendor based in South Africa Benias Gwenhamo Madhakasi is currently languishing in Remand Prison on allegations of possessing nude pictures of President Robert Mugabe.Police claim they found him in possession of nude pictures portraying President Mugabe's images and one of them had an inscription which reads; "Happy 87th birthday (Operation Matibiri) Robert Mugabe turning 87 years on 21 February 2011."

Three MDC youths, Calvin Ncube, Mpumelelo Donga and Gift Mlala were also arrested and dragged to court for undermining the authority of Mugabe last year after they were found in possession of paper cuttings with caricatures that prosecutors alleged mocked the Zanu-PF leader, his wife Grace and Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe governor, Gideon Gono.

Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office, Jameson Timba, was also arrested last year for calling Mugabe 'a liar'.

A Chipinge man Gift Mafuka was also jailed for 12 months for last year for insulting the President.

A 54 year old Bulwayo woman was recently hauled to court for allegedly defacing one of President Robert Mugabe's political campaign posters four years ago.