Harare – Zimbabwe’s Energy Minister Elton Mangoma was arrested on Wednesday for allegedly undermining veteran President Robert Mugabe in a speech at a rally, his lawyer said.
“Minister Mangoma was arrested this afternoon by officers from the CID law and order section,” lawyer Beatrice Mtetwa told AFP.
“The police are alleging that he said something at a rally that undermines the authority of the president. We don’t have any further details.”
The lawyer said Mangoma, who is also deputy treasurer of Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai‘s Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) party, was taken to Bindura, a mining town around 90km north of Harare.
Tsvangirai and Mugabe formed a power-sharing government in 2009 to avoid a tip into conflict in the aftermath of a bloody presidential run-off election which Tsvangirai boycotted citing the killing of around 300 supporters.
Relations between the two remain tense with counter-accusations of violence.
At least 30 supporters of Tsvangirai’s party including youth leader Solomon Madzore have been in detention for over a year facing charges of killing a police officer who was in a team that came to block a rally.
In 2011 Mangoma was arrested and detained on charges of abuse of office in the awarding of tenders for the supply of diesel and pre-paid electricity metres. He denies the charges.
Arrests for slandering Zimbabwe’s long-time president and breaching the strict public order law are common.
Usually those found guilty receive light jail sentences, fines or are ordered to do community service.
