THE case of a Gweru man who was accused of trying to disrupt First Lady Grace Mugabe’s rally in Bulawayo sometime in October was yesterday further postponed after it emerged in court that he had not yet been examined by psychiatrists to determine his mental status.
STAFF REPORTER Emmanuel Muzorera (34), who appeared before Bulawayo senior magistrate Sibongile Msipa smartly dressed in a brownish suit, was not asked to plead to a charge of disrupting a public meeting.
On October 21, Msipa ordered that Muzorera be examined by two medical doctors to establish his state of mind in accordance with Section 26 of the Mental Health Act after some family members indicated in court that he had a history of mental illness.
She later ordered that he be examined by a psychiatrist to ascertain his state of mind for a full trial to be conducted or for a special verdict that he be referred to Mlondolozi mental institution be passed.
Yesterday Muzorera told the court that he had not yet been seen by the psychiatrists and the magistrate remanded the case to December 23 when a psychiatrist is expected to have seen him and produced a report.
He is out of custody in the care of his parents and relatives.
Muzorera had earlier on pleaded guilty to picking the microphone from the podium without permission, but denied the claims he intended to disrupt the rally.
Msipa entered a plea of not guilty as a result, prompting the need to have a full trial conducted to prove if he did not intend to disturb the meeting as he claimed.
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The court heard that on October 15 this year at 3pm, Muzorera was among the crowd of people who attended Grace’s rally at Amazulu Sports Club.
Muzorera allegedly stood up and moved from the crowd to the podium, where he picked the microphone without permission.
This led to his arrest on the spot by a police officer who was at the rally.
