Benjani

Dr Murray branded a public risk

IT was the reckless injection of a powerful and dangerous hospital drug that sparked the most ­sensational trial in pop history.
And last night, Michael Jackson’s disgraced personal physician headed for the cells with the words of a judge who branded him a “danger to the public” ringing in his ears.
The 58-year-old heart doctor was found guilty of killing the tragic star at his Los Angeles home in June 2009 with a lethal ­injection of the anaesthetic propofol to help him sleep as he prepared for his comeback tour at the O2 in London.

Hundreds of Jacko fans gathered outside the court cheered wildly and waved banners with pictures of the King of Pop when the unanimous verdict were read out shortly after 9pm.

Minutes later the disgraced physician was handcuffed and led ­unceremoniously from the building.

Dr Murray showed no emotion as the verdict was read out by a court clerk - to a stifled gasp from the public gallery. It said: “We find the defendant guilty of the crime of involuntary manslaughter.”

He peered over at the jury when they were asked in turn if the decision had been their’s and their’s alone by judge Michael Pastor.

After a brief discussion with the defence team, Mr Pastor remanded Dr Murray in custody “taking into his account his reckless behaviour and public safety”.

Violence Indaba!!

POLICE were unable to act to prevent the violence that forced MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai to call off a planned weekend rally because they had been banned from the event, President Robert Mugabe said on Monday.

The MDC-T claims police details “stood-by and watched” as dozens of its supporters were attacked and property damaged when Zanu PF activists stormed a football ground in Chitungwiza where Tsvangirai was set to hold a rally on Sunday.

"They (police) watched us as these Zanu PF youths destroyed our property and assaulted our members," MDC-T secretary general Tendai Biti said after the disturbances.

Tsvangirai confronted Mugabe at their weekly meeting on Monday, but the Zanu PF leader said the MDC-T had contributed to the problems by insisting that it did not want police at its gatherings.

“The President intimated to him (PM Tsvangirai) that the Police Commissioner-General (Augustine Chihuri) was not at the venue of the clashes and had not deployed in Chitungwiza because the MDC-T made it clear to the police that they were not welcome to their meetings as the MDC-T was able to police itself,” Mugabe’s spokesman George Charamba told state media.

"(The) Prime Minister (was told) that the Police Commissioner-General can only deploy where he is wanted and where an incident has happened, the Commissioner-General will move in on the strength of the law. That was made clear to the Prime Minister."

Despite Mugabe’s reluctance to blame the police for failing to bring the violence under control, he and Tsvangirai agreed to call a meeting of the Zanu PF central committee and the national executive committees of the two MDC factions on Friday where leaders of the three parties will speak out against violence."

“We have now agreed that on Friday we are going to convene a meeting of Central Committee and national executive councils of the three parties to discuss the issue of political violence,” Tsvangirai told reporters on Monday.

He, however, warned that the violence could undermine preparations for elections expected to be held early next year.

A date for the poll is set to be agreed once the ongoing constitutional reforms are completed.
“We will come up with a date but of course with conditions for credible elections... if the current situation prevails then the elections will be a sham," Tsvangirai said.