Mugadza nabbed over malicious utterances

CONTROVERSIAL pastor Phillip Mugadza was yesterday arrested by Harare law and order maintenance officers, while attending his routine remand case.

He was arrested for undermining President Mugabe’s authority by allegedly “prophesying” that the President would die on October 17.

Mugadza made headlines last year after he had an altercation with two ladies of the night over failure to pay for services rendered.

In 2015 he staged a one-man protest during the ZANU-PF National People’s Conference and was charged with criminal nuisance.

The court subsequently issued a warrant of arrest, which had to be can- celled later when he returned to court.

He is facing fresh charges of undermining the President, apart from the other pending charges of criminal nuisance and abusing the national flag.

Harare magistrate Ms Rumbidzai Mugwagwa remanded him to January 25 for his case of abusing the flag, while the case for of criminal nuisance was slated for February 22.

It is alleged that last week Mugadza claimed that President Mugabe would die on October 17, causing alarm and despondency.

Prosecuting, Mr Sebastian Mutizirwa told the court that on November 22, at around 4pm, police from the reaction group were on patrol at Africa Unity Square.

It is the State case that Mugadza was shouting on top of his voice dis- turbing people who were passing by the park.

The police officers proceeded to where he was standing and noticed that he had chained himself.

The State alleges that Mugadza had positioned himself directly opposite the entrance to the Parliament of Zimbabwe, which is along Nelson Mandela Avenue in Harare.

He allegedly made a lot of noise while facing the entrance thereby annoying members of the public within the Africa Unity Square, which is adjacent to the legislative assembly building.

He reportedly tied himself by the waist using a chain, to the steel rails which surround the Square for unknown reasons.

Mugadza chained himself while holding a bible.