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Man Criminally Charged For Nude Mugabe Picture
By Alex Bell, SW Radio
A joke picture of a ‘naked’ Robert Mugabe has once again seen a young Zimbabwean face criminal charges, after the image was shared on a mobile chat application.
A 20 year old Bulawayo woman, Shantel Rusike, was arrested on Christmas Eve after sharing the image with a colleague, who then reported Rusike to the police.
Rusike was held for four days over the festive season before being brought before Magistrate Tawanda Muchemwa in the Bulawayo Magistrates Court on 28th December 2012. She was charged under the Criminal Law Act for allegedly ‘undermining the authority of or insulting the President’.
The picture, which shows Mugabe’s face on a naked body, was first shared before his 87th birthday in 2011 and has been shared multiple times on social networking platforms. The picture is accompanied by the caption: “Happy 87th Birthday (Operation Matibili).”
Rusike was released on US$100 bail and will be back in court on Friday.
The case against Rusike comes less than a year after Zimbabwean Benias Madhakasi was arrested and jailed for about four months after he was found with the same picture on his phone. He was arrested in Beitbridge in April and charged under the Criminal Law Act. He was only freed in July after the High Court threw out all the charges he was facing.
SW Radio Africa’s Bulawayo correspondent, Lionel Saungweme, said the case “hinges on the prosecution’s conviction that merely showing Robert Mugabe naked is insulting to the President.”
He said the situation reflects ZANU PF’s paranoia ahead of elections, with the party expected to use whatever measures it can to clamp down on what it believes are ‘dissenters’ .
Posted by
Abakonzi
January 10, 2013 at 2:14 pm
Not that I support Mugabe but this picture is a very childish thing for anybody to do.The president is the president whether you like it or not.So this kid should be made to realise that certain jokes are not jokes at certain levels.Please have respect!!!
Disappointed Zambian
January 13, 2013 at 2:27 pm
Good words, this child needs to learn a lesson. Its really being silly.
mature
January 10, 2013 at 2:32 pm
exactly.
masiya mpuwo moono
January 10, 2013 at 3:18 pm
please respect pipo like Bob.he is one of the top brains of africa.
people whats on mind really
January 10, 2013 at 3:40 pm
it’s very disappointing, you can even wonder why
Livingstone
January 10, 2013 at 4:45 pm
Respect the elders, kid you gonna get it the nice way, but Tumfweko i live next door to Vic Falls now you have posted this on my mobile, you want me to be introuble, yes?
Umupandapwiti
January 10, 2013 at 6:18 pm
LOL. Ukwabula ibolo ba presido mwafulwa.
kakolwe
January 10, 2013 at 6:54 pm
Wisdom: Humour Ends At The Belt’s Buckle.
Wanu Ngwee
January 10, 2013 at 9:19 pm
Oh no! It’s the unsaid is most depressing…. That it all shrinks away at 87?
MUMU
January 11, 2013 at 3:45 pm
TO SHOW THE PICTIRE OF THE PRESIDENT NAKED IS AN INSULT. LET US LEARN TO RESPECT OUR LEADERS PLEASE
Southern watchman
January 11, 2013 at 8:02 pm
BA TUMFWEKO YOUR HEADLINE SAYS “MAN CRIMINALLY CHARGED FOR SHOWING NUDE MUGABE PICTURE”, BUT IN THE STORY YOU HAVE MENTIONED A 20 YEAR OLD WOMAN WHEN YOUR HEADLINE SAYS MAN. PLEASE CORRECT THIS.
Big Ben
January 12, 2013 at 5:40 am
ok but this i cant support but i hate the ka man like hell!!!
Agonized
January 17, 2013 at 2:07 pm
I wish Mugabe could strip in court to confirm it is really him on the picture. Am seeing two people in the picture;one bodyles head wearing specs and the other headles and naked
Gaston Mwelepete
January 18, 2013 at 12:57 pm
Please People Let Us Respect Elders. In Africa and the World at Large being disrespectiful is a taboo. Let us be mindful of the jokes we put across, let alone those involving our old folks. Thats why Tamulekotela(Failure to grow OLD) BECAUSE OF BAD DEEDS.
brian
January 21, 2013 at 11:44 am
We should learn to respect elderly people,the bible is clear on this one,not only the bible,also morally it is wrong to undress some one in public.
qweny
January 21, 2013 at 3:29 pm
Honestly this is not good enough to see, people be serious, especially ba tumfweko, why publish this rubbish, this is not encouraging.
rubbish, elders are elders regardless of amount of hatreed u have for one.
james
January 25, 2013 at 5:25 pm
**** th bullshit th ****** wth shrinked nuts ahahhahahhahÀ
profiler
January 27, 2013 at 2:13 pm
Jokes must have a limit this is not right.we should learn to respect elders,shame.