A Sunday Times photographer has been beaten up and punched repeatedly in the face by the wife of President Robert Mugabe.Grace Mugabe, 43,(pictured) known as the First Shopper of Zimbabwe, flew into a rage when she was spotted last week leaving the exclusive Shangri-La hotel in Hong Kong. She has been staying there with her entourage at a cost of £2,000 a day while her country endures poverty, hunger and disease.
Holding a Jimmy Choo-style bag estimated to be worth at least £2,000, and hiding behind Cavalli rhine-stone-framed glasses with a red cashmere shawl over her head, she ordered her bodyguard to attack the photographer, Richard Jones.
While the guard tried to wrestle away Jones’s camera, she joined in the assault.
“The man held him while she hit him again and again in the face with her fists. She was screaming, completely crazy,” said Werner Zapletal, a tourist from Austria who witnessed the incident.
Jones, 42, suffered nine cuts, abrasions and bruises to the face and head caused by the heavy, diamond-encrusted rings Mugabe was wearing, according to a medical report by Dr Raymond Ng, a general practitioner in Hong Kong.
During the assault more burly bodyguards came running from the hotel but were intercepted by security men from a nearby commercial building.
Mugabe and her female companion fled around a corner seeking to hide their faces, only to run straight into a second photographer, Tim O’Rourke. He snapped a few pictures before she flew at him with her fists flying, pulled his hair and tried to smash his camera. She then hurried back to her five-star refuge.
The Hong Kong police, who were called to the scene, detained the bodyguard. He was allowed to go after questioning. The police took a statement from Jones last night.
Officers at the Tsim Sha Tsui police station will study CCTV footage of the incident, which they are treating as “serious” and “political”. A decision on whether to press charges is pending but Mugabe could claim immunity from prosecution.
Balaa Tanzania
ReplyDeleteDate::1/23/2009
Pinda ataka jino kwa jino
Na Victor Kinambile, Tabora
KATIKA hali ya isiyo ya kawaida, Waziri Mkuu Mizengo Pinda jana aliwaambia wananchi kuwa wanaoua watu wenye ulemavu wa ngozi (albino) pamoja vikongwe ni hawana budi kuuawa kwa kuwa wakisubiri mahakama kuwahukumu, watakuwa wanakosea.
Waziri Pinda, ambaye ameanza ziara katika mikoa ya Kanda ya Ziwa yenye lengo la kuhamasisha vita dhidi ya mauaji ya vikongwe na albino, aliutaka Umoja wa Vijana wa CCM kuongoza vita hiyo, akisema lina jeshi zuri.
Mauaji ya albino yamekuwa ni tatizo kubwa nchini na hasa katika mikoa ya Kanda ya Ziwa.
Pamoja na serikali kutangaza hatua kadhaa za kupambana na wauaji hao, bado matukio ya kuuawa kwa watu hao wenye ulemavu wa ngozi yamekuwa yakiendelea kuripotiwa, lakini Waziri Pinda ameenda mbali zaidi katika kukabiliana na tatizo hilo alipotaka wauaji hao wauawe badala ya kufikishwa mbele ya vyombo vya sheria.
Kauli ya Pinda, ambayo inaweka maswali katika suala la utawala bora, imekuja wakati ambao wananchi wamekuwa wakijichukulia sheria mkononi na kuua vikongwe kutokana na imani za uchawi.
Akihutubia wakati wa kufungua mkutano wa 16 wa Shirikisho la Vyama vya Kuweka na Kukopa (SCCULT) kwenye ukumbi wa Chuo cha Utumishi Umma mkoani hapa, Waziri Pinda alisema iwapo wananchi wataendelea kuwahurumia wauaji hao ambao wanatafuta viungo vya albino wakitegemea mahakama itatenda haki huku nao wakiongeza kasi ya mauaji kwa Watanzania, watakuwa wanakosea.
Hivyo alisema kwamba kuanzia sasa mtu yeyote atakayemuona mtu amemkata shingo au mkono mweziwe basi naye auawe papo hapo hii itakuwa ndiyo dawa kwani vingozi wote tumechoka na mauji hayo.
"Mkimuona mtu akamkata mwingine shingo naye muueni kwani sasa viongozi wote tumechoka... no more, I can't tolerate anymore (imetosha, siwezi kuvumilia tena)," alisema Pinda huku akiwaacha watu midomo wazi.
Aliviomba vyama vya siasa kushirikiana na wananchi kuhakikisha suala hili la mauji linakwisha kwani wauji "tunaishi nao na ni rahisi kulimaliza iwapo tutakuwa kitu kimoja katika kuondoa kashifa hii ambayo imekuwa mbaya kwa nchi yetu".
Aliuagiza Umoja wa Vijana wa CCM kuhakikisha mauaji hayo yanatokomezwa kabisa, akisema kuwa ni jeshi zuri ambalo likiamua kutokomeza kabisa mauaji ya vikongwe na ndugu zetu maalbino inawezekana.
"Umoja wa vijana mna jeshi zuri ambalo naamini mkiamua mnaweza kutokomeza mauaji ya wazee wetu pmoja na ndugu zetu maalbno na kazi hiyo nawaagiza muanze leo msisubri auawe mwingine tena," alisema waziri mkuu.
Baada ya kumalizika kwa mkutano huo, baadhi ya watu wanaoonekana kuwa ni wa "serikali" waliwafuata baadhi ya waandishi wa habari, akisihi suala hilo lisiripotiwe magazetini kwa madai kuwa kauli hiyo ya Waziri Pinda inaweza kusababisha matatizo.
Rais Jakaya Kikwete, ambaye pia amekuwa mstari wa mbele kupiga vita mauaji hayo, alitofautiana na Waziri Pinda katika moja ya hotuba zake aliposema kuwa adhabu ya kuua haitofautishi muuaji wa albino na muuaji mwingine na kwamba watakaopatikana na hatia ya kuua albino, atakabiliana na adhabu ya kifo kama ilivyo kwa muuaji mwingine.
Waziri Pinda alionekana kukerwa na mauaji ya albino wakati alipopata taarifa kwamba kuna mama mwingine aliuawa usiku wa kuamkia juzi.
"Nimeambiwa kuwa juzi wilayani Sengerema kuna mama mmoja ambaye ni mlemavu wa ngozi amekatwa mkono na wauaji wakaondoka na mkono huo na tayari mama huyo amekufa," alisema Pinda na kusisitiza kushughulikia wauaji hao.
Akitoa takwimu za mauaji ya vikongwe na malbino alisema mwaka 2003 waliuwawa vikongwe 517, mwaka 2004 waliuawa vikongwe 444, mwaka 2005 (494), 2006 (vikongwe 386), mwaka 2007 (vikongwe 526) na albino sita na mwaka 2008 (vikongwe 526 na albino 28).
Alisema tayari mwaka huu wameuawa albino watatu hivyo kufanya albino na vikongwe waliouawa kufikia kuwa jumla 2,900.
Waziri mkuu ameanza ziara ya siku nne kutembelea mikoa ya Shinyanga, Tabora na Mwanza ili kuhamasisha wananchi watokomeze vitendo vya mauaji ya vikongwe na watu weye ulemavu wa ngozi.
Source: Gazeti la Mwananchi