Tichaona Mupasiri joins ED coup challenger to stop Zanu-PF congress

A Zanu-PF member challenging President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s legitimacy has been joined by academic and Friends of Shabani, Mashava Mine Trust member Tichaona Mupasiri in the case he is seeking to stop the ruling party congress.

Mupasiri on Monday filed an application for a joinder in the case in which Musengezi is seeking to stop the party congress on the basis of Mnangagwa’s alleged lack of legitimacy.

In the application he filed in terms of section 2 (2) of the Constitution, which allows him to apply to intervene in a matter under case HC5687/21, Musengezi versus Mnangagwa, Mupasiri supports Musengezi’s claim that the November 19, 2017 Zanu-PF central committee meeting that elected Mnangagwa to be President of the party was convened illegally.

Mupasiri cited Musengezi, Zanu PF, Mnangagwa and party leaders Obert Mpofu and Patrick Chinamasa, former Vice-President Phelekezela Mphoko and former Local Government minister Ignatius Chombo and the Federation of Non-governmental Organisation Trust led by Goodson Nguni and Nguni as the first to ninth respondents.

This is not the first time Mupasiri is challenging Mnangagwa. In December, last year, he filed another application against the President and his lawyer Edwin Manikai alleging that the latter assisted Mnangagwa to assume the Zanu-PF party presidency in 2017.

It is, however, reported by the NewsDay that the sheriff struggled to serve summons on the President, but Mupasiri received an opposing affidavit from Manikai’s law firm, instead of the Attorney-General’s office.

Mupasiri also said Manikai should have disclosed his interest in the matter.

“The court is compelled to determine if a person who was involved in three distinct unlawful ascendancies to power and authority — Shabani, Mashava Mine (SMM), Mujuru constitutional amendment and Mugabe army-assisted removal, should not be held accountable to bring the nation to his confidence on how he skilfully managed to overcome the legal and Constitutional limitations imposed on everyone,” he submitted.

On Monday, judge president Justice Mary Zimba Dube struck off the roll Musengezi’s case against Mnangagwa.

She cited that she wanted to allow the Supreme Court to deal with an appeal filed by Musengezi challenging the joining of fellow party activist, Goodson Nguni, to the proceedings.

Struck off the roll means the matter was changed from being an urgent application to a normal application.