By Paul Nyathi|Hundreds of people from across Matabeleland provinces are expected to throng the Bulawayo magistrate’s court at Tredgold Building on Monday when arrested Mthwakazi Republic Party activist Wisdom Mkhwananzi appears in court in a landmark case on Gukurahundi for a determination on his bail application.
The country’s authorities stepped up their crackdown against perceived opponents of President Emmerson Mnangagwa after arresting and charging Mkhwananzi with undermining authority of or insulting the ZANU PF party leader.
Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) officers on Friday arrested Mkhwananzi and charged him with undermining authority of or insulting President Mnangagwa as defined in section 33(1)(a) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act Chapter 9:23 after he allegedly stated during a public hearing conducted at Rainbow Hotel in Bulawayo by the Commission of Inquiry into the 01 August 2018 killing of civilians, that he had been orphaned because the ZANU PF party leader had masterminded the killing of his parents during the Gukurahundi mass killings in the early 80’s.
The law enforcement agents alleged that the 32 year-old Mkwananzi, allegedly pointed at President Mnangagwa’s portrait, which was pasted onto the wall during his testimony before the former South African leader Kgalema Motlanthe-led Commission of Inquiry into the post-election violence and stated that “I am an orphan because of this man, he killed my parents.”
ZRP officers charged that by uttering such a statement, Mkwananzi, who was represented by Jabulani Mhlanga and Tinashe Runganga of Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR), engendered a feeling of hostility towards or caused hatred or ridicule of President Mnangagwa.
Mkwananzi was also charged with lying under oath as defined in section 10 of the Justice of Peace and Commissioners of Oaths Act Chapter 7:09.
The police officers claimed that Mkwananzi unlawfully and intentionally supplied a false name to the Commission of Inquiry after he allegedly told the probe team that his name is Siphamandla Mafu, which is different from the name, which appears on his national identity card.
Mkwananzi also faces a third charge of assault as defined in section 89 of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act, where ZRP officers alleged that he intentionally bit Luckmore Dube once on the right hand intending to cause bodily harm.
Mkwananzi, who appeared in court on Saturday, returns to court on Monday for a determination of his bail application.
Mkwananzi becomes the second man to be charged with undermining authority of or insulting President Mnangagwa inside one month after ZRP officers arrested Alexander Samuel Chidzedzere of Kariba in Mashonaland West province early this month, and charged him with undermining authority or insulting President Mnangagwa after he alleged that the ruling ZANU PF party had won the 30 July harmonised elections through rigging.
The leaders of the Mthwakazi Republic Party have called on people from the region to throng the courts in support of Mkhwananzi who they claim spoke on behalf of the entire Matabeleland region.
“A plea to all Mthwakazi people to come to Tredgold court 2 tomorrow the 29th at 08:30am and give solidarity support to our brave son and brother, Wisdom Terrence Mkhwananzi, who was arrested for giving a testimony on Gukurahundi before the Motlante led Commission, and for fingering the State President as the murder suspect.
Mkhwananzi represented all the silent voices that mourn for justice for Gukurahundi,” said the b party in a statement.
“The time has come for all of us to rise and show the world that we are not satisfied with this brutal system.
Those in the diaspora send transport money so we can fill up Tredgold.”
Meanwhile, ZLHR lawyers on Saturday secured the release on bail of three Bulawayo men Marshal Sibanda, Welcome Moyo and Venat Ncube, who were arrested on Friday and charged with committing public violence as defined in section 36(1)(a) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act Chapter 9:23.
The trio was also charged with disrupting a public gathering as defined in section 44(a) Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act Chapter 9:23 after they allegedly engaged in a disorderly and riotous conduct intending to disrupt the Commission of Inquiry proceedings.
Sibanda, Moyo and Ncube were granted $150 bail each and remanded to 13 November for commencement of their trial.