Source: Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights
ZIMBABWEAN authorities on Monday 16 January 2017 arrested and charged Remnant Pentecostal Church leader Pastor Phillip Patrick Mugadza for insulting President Robert Mugabe after he allegedly prophesied that the nonagenarian leader will die this year.
Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) officers who quizzed Pastor Mugadza at Harare Central Police Station claimed that the clergyman on Friday 13 January 2017 unlawfully acted in a manner which is likely to create a nuisance by giving a prophesy that President Mugabe is going to die on 17 October 2017.
The ZRP officers charged that Pastor Mugadza misrepresented to the public that the prophesy was a true prophesy.
However, Pastor Mugadza, who is represented by Gift Mtisi of Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights denied the charge in a warned and cautioned statement he signed at the Law and Order Section at Harare Central Police Station, where he is spending the night under detention in police cells.
Initially, ZRP officers had indicated that they would charge Pastor Mugadza for insulting and undermining the authority of the president in contravention of Section 33 of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act before altering the charge.
Pastor Mugadza has had several run-ins with Zimbabwean authorities. In December 2015, the clergyman was arrested and detained during the ZANU PF National People’s Conference for allegedly staging a demonstration denouncing President Mugabe’s 35 year-old reign.
Pastor Mugadza was charged with criminal nuisance in contravention of Section 46 of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act Chapter 9:23 after he allegedly protested against the manner in which the ZANU PF party leader had presided over the affairs of the country.
In 2016, the Remnant Pentecostal Church leader was also arrested several times and charged with criminal nuisance and for draping himself with the country’s national flag without seeking permission from the country’s authorities.
Source: Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights