Judge President to preside over case challenging Mnangagwa coup

Judge President Justice Mary Dube is set to preside over the case in which Zimbabwean leader Emmerson Mnangagwa is being accused of rigging his way up to the ruling Zanu-PF party presidency.

Mnangagwa was dragged to court by a Zanu-PF member, Sybeth Musengezi who argues that the meeting that installed Mnangagwa as Zanu-PF leader after the military coup in November 2017 was illegal.

Last week, Musengezi filed an urgent chamber application at the Harare High Court seeking to stop Zanu-PF’s congress scheduled for October pending finalisation of his case against Mnangagwa.

The brave young man, on Wednesday, claimed the latest application prompted the courts to urgently set a date for the hearing of the case that is questioning the legitimacy of the Zanu-PF leader.

“Thanks to this urgent chamber application that sought to stop the ZANU PF congress pending finalization of the legitimacy matter.

“Now our Mnangagwa legitimacy matter is set down for the 21st of September for hearing before HC Judge President Justice Mary Dube. We pray for justice,” he said.

In October last year, Musengezi approached the Bulawayo High Court seeking an order to nullify Zanu PF’s 19 November 2017 special session of the Central Committee meeting, which installed, then sacked Vice President Mnangagwa as the leader of the ruling party and subsequently Zimbabwean President.

The meeting that forced the now late President Robert Mugabe to resign happened at the height of Mnangagwa’s military coup which overthrew the former President and his associates who have since fled the country.

In his application, Musengezi who has been arrested several times over political charges cited Zanu-PF secretary for administration Obert Mpofu, acting political commissar Patrick Chinamasa, former vice president Phelekezela Mphoko, ex-finance secretary Ignatius Chombo as the third, fourth, fifth and sixth respondents respectively.

He said, according to the Zanu-PF constitution, Mpofu had no prerogative power to preside over the Central Committee meeting because he was only Zanu-PF’s secretary for finance at the time.

Musengezi believes that Mphoko should convene a special Extraordinary Congress of Zanu-PF that will then decide the lawful position of Mnangagwa and other top party members.

This comes at a time when the country is left with less than a year to hold a presidential elections.

The outcome of the court case will decide Mnangagwa’s fate on whether he will be a Zanu-PF candidate or not.