(NEWZIMBABWE) Company director charged over Mugabe rant

Company director charged over Mugabe rant
by Lunga Sibanda
13/11/2010 00:00:00

A BULAWAYO businessman who faces charges of insulting President Robert Mugabe and undermining his authority has appeared in court seeking a variation of his bail conditions.

Gareth David Fury, a director of Fisher Motors, first appeared in court on 14 September and was remanded out of custody on $100 bail. Then state says the alleged insult occurred on September 6 when Fury called a Fisher employee, Nkululeko Griffin Tshuma, to his office.

Fury requested that Tshuma hand over the company vehicle and keys as his services were no longer required.

The two then exchanged harsh words with Tshuma telling Fury that the company had undermined the country’s empowerment laws by hiring him.

The court heard that a furious Fury then insulted Tshuma and President Mugabe.

He allegedly told Tshuma: “To hell with your indigenisation, not in my company. If you need the car you should go and get one from President Mugabe and his indigenisation. He will make indigenization work in his house and not in this country.

“Go tell him to give you his car and bring back my company car. To hell with him and his indigenisation, we are fed up with him.”

Tshuma refused to surrender the keys and left Fury’s office. A report was made to the police leading to Fury’s arrest.

The state argues that Fury was that his statements were false and could engender feelings of “hatred, hostility or ridicule (towards) the President”.

Meanwhile Fury’s lawyers approached a magistrate’s court on Friday seeking the release of his passport in exchange for title deeds to his property.

The lawyers said Fury needed the passport in order to travel to South Africa.

“In view of his (Fury) medical report, I am submitting that the State releases his passport as he is willing to give title deeds for his property if the State is willing to take that as an alternative,” his lawyers told the court.

The magistrate suspended the case to next Friday to give the Attorney General’s office time to respond.