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Mugabe election challenge: Lawyers plot next move
Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR)
April 05, 2013

Lawyers representing three former legislators demanding by-elections are plotting their next move after High Court Judge President George Chiweshe granted an order excusing President Robert Mugabe from complying with a Supreme Court ruling.

The Supreme Court had last year ordered President Mugabe to gazette dates for by-elections in the trio’s former constituencies. In October, Justice Chiweshe then granted a reprieve to President Mugabe to comply with the court’s order until March 31 this year. But President Mugabe then filed papers to be allowed not to comply with the order, arguing that it would be a waste of taxpayers’ money given that the life of Parliament is about to end on June 29, a claim lawyers deny arguing that the life of Parliament will end on October 29.

On Friday Justice Chiweshe granted the application without giving his reasons after fierce resistance by the three former MPs’ lawyers. The Judge President said he would hand down the reasons for his ruling on Monday 8 April 2013.

Advocate Prince Machaya, the Deputy Attorney General represented President Mugabe while Advocate Thabani Mpofu and Tawanda Zhuwarara of Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights represented the three legislators, Abednico Bhebhe, Njabuliso Mguni and Norman Mpofu.

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