MDC Manicaland spokesman arrested over Mugabe school fees remark

By Lance Guma

28 July 2006

Pishai Muchauraya the MDC Manicaland province spokesman was arrested in Rusape on Friday over a statement he made at a rally regarding Mugabe’s failure to pay son Chatunga’s school fees. He is alleged to have remarked that Mugabe did not pay the fees at Hartman House in Harare because he was too old to count the money. Muchaurayi was picked up by police and charged under Section 33 of the Criminal Law Codification Act for allegedly undermining the authority or office of the ‘President.’ He was taken to court on the same day but released on the orders of a Rusape magistrate who made him pay Z$5 million bail.

He will next appear in court on 25 th August. In an interview with Newsreel immediately after his release Muchaurayi says all MDC rallies have state security agents or policeman tagging along to listen to the speeches and it was very difficult to avoid talking about Mugabe during these rallies because he is the source of the country’s problems. The school Mugabe’s son Chatunga attends increased their fees from Z$55 million to Z$109 million. Mugabe is alleged to have told Education Minister Aneas Chigwedere to order a reversal in the hikes and is thought to have refused to pay the new fees himself.

Upon his release Muchauraya immediately went to address another rally in Rusape in what he said was a continuation of their mobilisation efforts to try and get people into action against the regime.