War veterans in court for insulting Mugabe

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Five prominent Zimbabwe war veterans arrested earlier this year in a crackdown on critics of President Robert Mugabwe, appeared in court Tuesday for insulting the 92-year-old leader.

The Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association (ZNLWVA) spokesman, Douglas Mahiya, and four executives briefly appeared before a Harare magistrate for authoring a highly-critical statement accusing Mugabe of “dictatorial” behaviour.

The leaders of veterans of Zimbabwe’s liberation war were not asked to enter their pleas and the hearing was postponed to Wednesday.

Defence lawyer Beatrice Mtetwa hinted to the court that the five will contest the charges.

“There is no offence disclosed by that document,” she said of the statement issued in July.

“It was referring to the president of the (Zanu-PF) political party,” but not the state president.

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