A POLICE constable Taison Hove (30) stationed at the Lupane
Police Station, who is accused of insulting President Emmerson Mnangagwa, was
convicted by the police disciplinary court and sentenced to 14 days in
detention.
This was confirmed by his lawyer Bruce Masamvu yesterday.
Masamvu said Hove was convicted at a disciplinary court
presided over by a Superintendent Mutepfe.
"Hove has been convicted at police trial and sentenced
to 14 days in detention and ordered to pay a fine of $300. He was convicted for
saying Mnangagwa has failed and ‘our salary is now equivalent to US$100 only',"
Masamvu said.
Prior to the conviction, Hove had applied for discharge
citing violation of his right to free expression and that the State had failed
to prove a prima facie case against him.
However, the disciplinary court dismissed his application
for discharge and ruled that he should proceed to trial.
Masamvu said they would be appealing to Police
CommissionerGeneral Godwin Matanga against the ruling.
"We will appeal. We gave notice to the
Commissioner-General of Police on Thursday," he said.
Hove was arrested for allegedly insulting Mnangagwa when he
called for him to step down to pave way for the opposition MDC Alliance leader
Nelson Chamisa.
He was arrested at Lupane business centre on January 3,
2019, and also accused of having said Zanu-PF regalia was only fit for people
working in the agricultural fields when he saw a ruling party supporter wearing
one.
Hove was summoned by the prosecution to appear before a
Lupane magistrate in early 2019, but the matter was placed off remand as the State
was still waiting for the National Prosecution Authority's consent to begin
trial.
Allegations against Hove are that on January 3, 2019, he
was drinking beer with other patrons when a certain man passed by putting on a
Zanu-PF T-shirt emblazoned with Mnangagwa's picture.
When Hove saw the man, he allegedly said such clothing
should only be worn by one going to tend to the fields.
Mnangagwa, he allegedly said, had failed to run the country
and, as such, he should hand over power to Chamisa.
Some patrons then reported him to the police, leading to
his arrest.
Denying the charges, Hove said the State's case against him
did not disclose an offence justifiable in a democratic society. He described
the charges as frivolous and vexatious.
Hove submitted that he was charged with contravening
section 35 of the schedule of the Police Act Chapter 11:10 and said the
evidence led by the State witnesses during the hearing did not show that he
committed an offence.
The police disciplinary court gathered evidence in chief
from Hlelenje Ncube.
Other witnesses who testified against Hove were Innocent Mkhwananzi,
Sibangani Silwangani and Tongai Tayisi, who all testified that Hove had
insulted Mnangagwa. Newsday
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