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Zimbabwe’s Constitutional Court judges have said it is okay to attack President Robert Mugabe.
These revelations came as VIVA Zimbabwe leader Acie Lumumba was taken into police custody in Harare.
Lumumba’s secretary told ZimEye.com the police dithered on their plans to prosecute the man over his insult against President Robert Mugabe in which he last week attacked the 92 year old leader using the swear word, “F*** You.”
In landmark ruling cited by legal experts, Supreme Court judges resounded their verdict that it is perfectly okay and legal to insult any human being, Mugabe included. The only way Mugabe could get at Lumumba is via a civil lawsuit, an expert told ZimEye.com
In the last 16 years dozens of activists have been arrested on charges of insulting the 89-year-old ruler. Some, including the iconic democracy activist, Solomon Madzore who called him a “tired donkey” ahead of elections, have been detained for weeks.
However, the Constitutional Court ruled in October 2013 that the offence of undermining the authority of the President and “communicating falsehoods” ran counter to the freedom of expression enshrined in a constitution introduced in March 2013.
“The Constitutional Court’s ruling is that these provisions are not in line with basic rights of freedom of expression,” said an official, who asked not to be named because the ruling had not yet been made public.
Mugabe has been in power since the former Rhodesia’s independence from Britain in 1980, although he has been accused of stealing elections through intimidation, violence and vote-rigging.
Mugabe who has used proxies, has never commented directly on the “insult law”, which was enacted when he became executive president in 1987.
Meanwhile, it emerged Lumumba who handed himself in will be released tomorrow, Tuesday 5th July. There is no charge whatsoever on him, Lumumba’s secretary told ZimEye.com
Source : Zimeye
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