Subversion case against American woman collapses
THE case in which an American woman was being charged with subversion for allegedly describing former President Robert Mugabe as a “sick man”, on Twitter yesterday collapsed after the State advised the court that it would no longer pursue the matter.
Martha O’Donovan, who works for Magamba TV, was immediately removed from remand by Harare magistrate Rumbidzai Mugwagwa.
“Your worship, we asked the court to remove the accused from remand and we wish to proceed the matter by way of summons if need be,” prosecutor Linda Gadzikwa told the court.
O’Donovan was arrested during a dawn raid at her Harare residence, where the law enforcement agents confiscated her electronic devices, including a laptop, and detained her at Harare Central Police Station’s CID Law and Order section.
The State claimed O’Donovan posted a tweet on her profile during last year’s Shoko Festival, which referred to a certain goblin, whose wife and stepson imported a Rolls-Royce vehicle.
The police officers, who arrested O’Donovan, were armed with a search warrant, which had been granted by Harare magistrate Elisha Singano, authorising the confiscation of all her electronic devices to allow for investigations.
Meanwhile, National Vendors’ Union of Zimbabwe chairperson Sten Zvorwadza, who is accused of insulting Mugabe over his decision to remove vendors from the streets, approached the same court seeking removal from remand.
Zvorwadza, who is being represented by Jeremiah Bhamu from the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, had described Mugabe as “daydreaming” for ordering the removal of vendors from the streets.
Bhamu also applied for refusal of remand for a Kuwadzana man, Abraham Rukwava, who was arrested for allegedly insulting Mugabe after he told fellow passengers in a commuter omnibus that the 93-year-old leader was old and was not able to do anything in the country.
Mugwagwa is expected to rule on both applications today.
BY DESMOND CHINGARANDE
