MP Mubhawu files Z$20 million defamation suit over Trudy assault allegations

By Lance Guma
04 September 2006

The Member of Parliament for Mabvuku-Tafara, Timothy Mubhawu, who was accused of sponsoring party youths to assault fellow MDC MP Trudy Stevenson, has filed a Z$20 million defamation suit. Just a few days after the charges against him were dropped the legislator says he has given the Herald, the Commissioner of police Augustine Chihuri and Wayne Bvudzijena their spokesman 5 days to respond to the lawsuit in the High Court. Harare based lawyer Douglas Mwonzora is representing Mubhawu. In an interview on the Behind the Headlines series, the Mabvuku-Tafara MP says he was deeply hurt by the accusations thrown at him and says this also affected his family and relatives.

Mubhawu took a swipe at the regime saying ‘this government is imbibed with evil characteristics, they can create situations that will make you suffer out of nothing.’ He says he suffered horribly after being put in police cells with inmates with skin diseases. He says he might consider withdrawing the charges if all those he is suing issue some form of apology. He says the state case against him was a shambles as there were no witnesses or even evidence to implicate him. Mubhawu says the government clearly targeted him because his constituency is renowned as a hotbed of opposition resistance.

Stevenson and a group of Mutambara MDC officials were assaulted by a group of youths in Mabvuku after they held a meeting in the area. Their convoy was attacked by a mob using sticks and stones. Stevenson was seriously wounded and admitted to the Avenues Clinic. It was originally claimed that Mubhawu was the owner of the blue truck used in the assault. The MP however said he owned a white vehicle, his wife had a yellow one while his son uses a red car. Nine other people were arrested over the assault. He says those arrested were not genuine members of the party but state-sponsored thugs.

Asked what chance the defamation suit had of success, Mubhawu says it was important to have the matter on record even if the Mugabe regime found a way of killing the case. He expressed disappointment at the media for ignoring the dropping of charges against him, saying they were only too happy to cover the case when he was being dragged through the mud yet went silent when he was proved innocent.

*For the full interview with Timothy Mubhawu and his lawyer Douglas Mwonzora tune in to Behind the Headlines with Lance Guma this week Thursday.