Donkey trouble for MDC Senator Komichi

BINDURA-Police have hauled before the courts a non-constituency Senator for allegedly insulting President Robert Mugabe. Police from the Bindura Criminal Investigations Department’s Law and Order Section last week charged Senator Morgan Komichi with undermining the authority of or insulting President Mugabe.

The police allege that Komichi, the MDC’s deputy organising secretary undermined and insulted President Mugabe by singing a song with the lyrics: “Chimurume chagire chandifungisa dhongi rangu rakafa kare kare.” The police deduced this to mean “Grace’s husband reminds me of my donkey which died long long back referring to His Excellence (sic) President Robert Gabriel Mugabe who is husband of the first Lady Comrade Grace Mugabe”.

The police alleged that Komichi sang the song when he addressed a rally at Chiwaridzo Shopping Centre in Bindura on 24 January 2010. By uttering the alleged lyrics, the police said Komichi knew or realised that there was a real risk or possibility that the statement was false and that it could “engender feelings of hostility towards or course (sic) hatred, contempt or ridicule of the President whether in person or in respect of the President’s Office”.

The police said MDC supporters who attended the rally that Komichi allegedly addressed joined him in singing the song. However, Komichi, who was granted free bail by Bindura Magistrate Feresi Chakanyuka on Tuesday denied ever singing such a song.

The Senator’s lawyer Alec Muchadehama, who is a member of Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights told The Legal Monitor that even if his client had sung such a song with the lyrics “Gire” he would not have committed an offence because; “Gire is not Grace Mugabe. Gire is a Shona adulteration of Glady’s, Grace, Gracious, Girema and there was absolutely no reference to mean Grace Mugabe and no mention of President Mugabe.”

Muchadehama gave notice that he would apply for refusal of placement on remand when Komichi appears in court next month on the basis that there were no reasonable suspicion that the non-constituency Senator committed an offence. Komichi is the second parliamentarian to be hauled before the courts on charges of insulting President Mugabe in less than five months.

In January, Constitutional Parliamentary Committee (Copac) co-chairman and Nyanga North MP Hon. Douglas Mwonzora was summoned to stand trial on allegations that he called President Robert Mugabe a “goblin” at a rally he addressed at Ruwangwe Growth Point in Nyanga North constituency on 21 March 2009.

The police alleged that Mwonzora uttered the following words:

“President Robert Mugabe chikwambo uye achamhanya. Ndaona Mugabe achigeza, tauro muchiuno, sipo muhapwa uye ndebvu hwapepe. Pamberi neMDC, pasi nechihurumende chembavha chinosunga vanhu vasina mhosva chichitora zvinhu zvavo, literally meaning President Mugabe is a goblin and will run… I saw Mugabe bathing, towel on his waist, soap under his armpits and big beard… forward with MDC down with bad government of thieves which arrest innocent people and taking away their property (sic).”

The Nyanga North legislator was also accused of undermining police authority almost a year after committing the alleged offence. Mwonzora’s case was postponed after prosecutor Michael Mugabe indicated that he would summon the lawyer again once he was ready to proceed. Several Zimbabweans have been acquitted after being charged with insulting President Mugabe. Legal Monitor

[newsletter]