ZIMBABWEAN authorities have suspended a college lecturer from employment after he allegedly denigrated President Emmerson Mnangagwa by accusing the ZANU PF party leader and his government of paying poor salaries to civil servants.
Authorities at Harare Polytechnic College recently served Amos Dauzeni, a lecturer at the college’s Hospitality Department with a suspension letter barring him from reporting for duty after he was accused of misconduct.
According to the misconduct charge sheet, Dauzeni was accused of unbecoming behaviour or indecorous behaviour in breach of section 44(2)(a) of the Public Service Regulations after he allegedly denigrated President Mnangagwa during a conversation which he held with a soldier in a bar in central Harare.
During the conversation with Simbarashe Muti, a member of the Zimbabwe National Army, Dauzeni allegedly shouted that President Mnangagwa had mismanaged the country’s economy resulting in the payment of poor salaries to government workers.
College authorities charged that during the altercation with Muti, who filed a complaint with the institution protesting against Dauzeni’s conduct, the lecturer reportedly went on to produce a copy of his pay slip, which shows that he earns $465 RTGS and threw it on the floor in front of the soldier and uttered the words “Take this piece of paper and give it to Mnangagwa.”
When Muti told him that he could not do as advised, Dauzeni reportedly scolded him for being President Mnangagwa’s lapdog together with other members of the ZNA.
The college authorities charged that Dauzeni had behaved in a manner unbefitting of a public civil servant. During his three months suspension period, Dauzeni will not be entitled to his salary and allowances and will not be allowed to leave Zimbabwe without the approval of the college authorities.
Dauzeni, who was given two weeks by college authorities to respond to the misconduct charges and is represented by Tinomuda Shoko of Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR), is the latest person to be persecuted for allegedly insulting President Mnangagwa.
According to ZLHR, more than 10 people have been prosecuted or persecuted since December 2017 for allegedly undermining or insulting authority of President Mnangagwa.
During the country’s former leader Robert Mugabe’s reign, more than 200 people were charged with criticising the deposed nonagenarian leader including opposition party supporters, human rights activists and ordinary citizens.
Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights
