By Lance Guma
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HARARE – President Robert Mugabe is set to sack Zimbabwe High Court Judge, Justice Charles Hungwe after the pro-regime Chief Justice Godfrey Chidyausiku controversially wrote a letter recommending his removal.
Hungwe angered the regime when he ordered the release of human rights lawyer Beatrice Mtetwa and granted a search warrant to the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission to search the offices of three Zanu PF cabinet ministers.
Last month the state media began a campaign to scandalise Hungwe claiming he had denied justice to a 55-year-old man he convicted of murder in 2003 by failing to sentence him over the past 10 years after losing the court records.
No mention was made of who in the court system lost the records.
In the other case it’s claimed Hungwe “unprocedurally granted a notice of withdrawal in a house wrangle pitting Old Mutual chief executive Jonas Mushosho and a man who bought the latter’s property.”
Those close to the case said the documents were simply forged and the judge was also a victim.
Chidyausiku is said to have written a letter to Mugabe ‘explaining’ the charges leveled against Hungwe. We understand the letter is in terms of section 87 (3) of the Constitution that deals with the removal of judges from office.
A report in the Zanu PF controlled Herald newspaper claims; “After explaining the charges to Justice Hungwe, the Chief Justice asked him if he had anything to say in his defence to which Justice Hungwe said ‘No, I am in your hands.”
Under the constitution Mugabe will have to appoint a tribunal to inquire into the alleged conduct of Justice Hungwe. This we understand will just be a formality. The regime has already made a decision to get rid of Hungwe.
The Law Society of Zimbabwe has already issued a statement expressing concern at what they perceive as the deliberate targeting of Justice Hungwe.
Last month Justice Hungwe granted the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) permission to search the offices of Mines minister Obert Mpofu, Indigenisation minister Saviour Kasukuwere, and Transport and Infrastructural Development minister Nicholas Goche.
The commission also pounced on the National Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment Board (NIEEB) and Zimbabwe National Road Administration (Zinara) offices which fall under Kasukuwere and Goche respectively.
It was only Justice George Chiweshe who blocked the searches.
Chiweshe is a key Mugabe ally who as past chairman of the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission withheld presidential election results for weeks in March 2008, amid reports the period was used to manipulate and massage the figures that denied Morgan Tsvangirai an outright victory.
To contact this journalist email [email protected] or follow him on twitter @LanceGuma
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