Defence Minister Sydney Sekeramayi and Health Minister David Parirenyatwa have sued singer and businessman Energy Mutodi for defamation following a facebook post in which he accused the two of poisoning Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa. They are demanding $20 000 each.
Mnangagwa fell sick o 12 August and had to be rushed to Johannesburg for treatment.
The ministers say he post was false and wrongful and portayed them as murderers when they are medical doctors who should save lives.
“The post was made and published with intention to defame plaintiffs and to injure their respective reputations. As a result of the defamation, plaintiffs have been individually damaged in their reputation and have respectively suffered damages in the sum of $20 000 each,” says the declaration from the ministers’ lawyers.
According to The Herald the lawyers said that the ministers had tried to recover the damages outside court with no success.
Mutodi has not yet responded to the law suit which was filed on Friday.
The facebook article posted on 25 August read:
As the nation struggles to come to terms with shock and fear following the poisoning of Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa a fort night ago, details have emerged that Defence Minister Sydney Sekeramayi and Health & Child Welfare Minister David Parirenyatwa were allegedly behind the poisoning of the Vice President.
Both Ministers are medical doctors by profession.
According to reports, Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa boarded an Airforce plane at the Zimbababwe Defence College on the fateful day in the company of the two ministers.
Another minister Simon Kaya Moyo was also reportedly on board.
It is said that while in the chopper, the Vice President was served with some samosas, sandwiches and grapes that he unsuspectingly ate.
The food is said to have been brought by Sydney Sekeramayi from home.
It is not yet established who was part of the cabin crew.
Upon arrival at the Gwanda Youth Interface rally, Vice President Mnangagwa took to the VIP tent and did not eat anything that was served.
He however began to feel dizzy and began vomiting, forcing his aides to alert Intelligence Minister Kembo Mohadi who then called paramedics to assist him.
Parirenyatwa reportedly tried to do some tests on the VP before suggesting that he be flown to Matadaei Hospital in Bulawayo, a decision the VP rejected; perhaps fearing the worst.
Instead he agreed to be flown to Gweru where he was attended to by his private doctors after which he was transferred to Manyame Hospital and then to South Africa the following morning where doctors detected toxins in his system.
Up to 97% of the toxins were flashed out when the VP was initially admitted.
The toxins had reportedly started to affect his liver, explaining why he had suffered blood-strained vomits.
The latest details on the poisoning saga are in contrast with unsubstantiated claims that the VP had been poisoned from some ice cream served at the rally from Gushungo dairy.
The false rumors could have emanated from the poisoning syndicate that sought to conceal evidence for their criminal actions.
It is most likely that they knew, from their medical experience, that the poison would not induce instant pain at least to allow them to fly to the rally while their victim would still be feeling alright.
They also knew that he would most likely eat something from the VIP tent; thus, creating confusion as to when he would have been poisoned.
It remains subject of speculation if the Vice President will make a police report against the two ministers.
However, it maybe a waste of time as several ministers who have been criminally charged for various offences remain scot-free as long as they belong to the correct basket in ZANU PF succession politics.
Higher Education Minister Jonathan Moyo who of late has been criminally charged by the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission allegedly for embezzling ZIMDEF funds remains free from prosecution after his arrest was blocked.
The powerful spin doctor was cleared of any wrong doing even before the courts could be given a chance to hear his case.
Saviour Kasukuwere who had nine provinces demonstrate against him for imposing his relatives in ruling party structures was absolved of any wrong doing by the politburo; leaving his accusers shell-shocked.
There is selective application of the law in Zimbabwe that allows those with strong political connections to go away with crime without dreaming of ever getting arrested.
With a G40 faction calling the shots in the ruling party and government, state institutions have become paralyzed due to factionalism and tribalism that have become the order of the day in ZANU PF.
Making a police report in this case therefore is tantamount to giving the police a chance to fabricate and cook up evidence that exculpates the accused ministers from the offence.” – Insider
