Judge hearing CCC Bulawayo 12 case gets USD$390K house in Newlands
As 12 “disqualified” opposition Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) parliamentary candidates from Bulawayo head to the Supreme Court in Harare for a legal showdown on Wednesday, Nehanda Radio can reveal that one of the judges Felicia Chatukuta has a US$390 000 house being bought for her in Newlands, Harare by President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s regime.
Not only that, the house in Cambridge Avenue, Newlands, is being bought via the Borrowdale based Property Shop, an estate agency owned by Mnangagwa’s daughter Farai.
It gets even worse, the conveyancing for the sale of the property is being done by Farai’s lawyer husband, Mnangagwa’s son-in-law, Gerald Mlotshwa.
From the documents gleaned by Nehanda Radio, it would appear Justice Chatukuta already has a house in Straker Avenue in Gunhill, Harare. The property is listed as her current residential address.
According to the documents we have the judge signed the ‘offer to purchase’ the new house on 29 June 2023 while the seller signed the ‘offer to sell’ on 26 July 2023.
Justice Chatukuta is one of the judges that was brought in last minute onto the case that saw former Zanu PF cabinet minister Saviour Kasukuwere being barred from contesting as an independent presidential candidate.
After Zanu PF activist Lovedale Mangwana successfully challenged Kasukuwere’s nomination arguing he had been out of the country for over 18 months, it was Justice Chatukuta who threw out Kasukuwere’s appeal.
“We carefully considered the evidence and oral submissions by both counsels. The court is of the view the appeal lacks merit. The appeal be and is hereby dismissed with no order as to costs,” she ruled.
In June this year Nehanda Radio exclusively broke the story of how Mnangagwa’s government had controversially awarded US$400 000 housing loans to all judges in the country, three months before elections.
A source close to the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) told Nehanda Radio that the Chief Justice, Luke Malaba and his deputy Elizabeth Gwaunza had already been allocated their benefits.
“It’s US$400 000 per judge. Started off as something for the CJ (Chief Justice) and the DCJ (Deputy Chief Justice). Now going to other judges,” said the trusted source that refused to be disclosed for fear of victimisation.
Our story has turned out to be true and with a litany of court cases that will decide the shape and direction of the 23 August harmonized elections, Mnangagwa appears to have put all his legal ducks in a row.
The UK based All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Zimbabwe expressed its shock at the developments.
“In June the Zimbabwe govt gave judges USD400k housing loans, ahead of elections. Last week the High Court disqualified 12 CCC candidates in Bulawayo constituencies, despite @ZECzim ruling nominations valid.
“One of the @ZANUPF_Official candidates who would be elected unopposed if this travesty is not struck down by a higher court is the Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube, @CowdrayPark2023 who authorised the loans to judges.
“All the while election rigging is going on across Zimbabwe, the state media is brazenly partisan in violation of the constitution, political opponents are jailed including opposition MP @JobSikhala1, violence is inflicted on opposition supporters, opposition rallies are banned.
“.. the electoral register is deeply flawed, and judges and directors of the Central Intelligence Organisation are openly bribed by the ruling party.
“The world must call out @ZANUPF_Official’s brazen attempts to deny the people of Zimbabwe their free choice of leaders,” the APPG tweeted.
