Chidyausiku dies

Zimbabwe's retired Chief Justice Godfrey Chidyausiku has died.

He was 70.

The former judiciary boss died today while admitted at a hospital in South Africa. He had been battling cancer.

Chidyausiku was a few months ago forced by the Ministry of Justice - overseen by Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa - to go on early retirement ahead of his departure in a bid to manouevre Judge President George Chiweshe to replace him before President Robert Mugabe intervened to bring him back to preside over the process of selecting his successor..

Mnangagwa's faction wanted Chiweshe to succeed Chidyausiku, while the G40 faction is backing Judicial Service Commission (JSC) secretary Rita Makarau.

Chidyausiku, who turned 70 on March 1, was last August pressured by the Justice ministry to retire without President Robert Mugabe's knowledge after being told the "executive" had decided he should go early before his official retirement next month.

Chidyausiku, who was seen by some in Zanu-PF and government as a stumbling block to Mnangagwa's succession ambitions, left under intense pressure and slipped away for about two months until he met Mugabe, by chance, at the former Midlands governor Cephas Msipa's funeral in Gweru last October.

Chidyausiku was replaced by Justice Malaba.

Details to follow.....

This is a breaking news item and we will continue to update.