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Court orders chief to withdraw 'support Zanu-PF' statement
09 May 2018 at 11:09hrs | Views
Chief Charumbira has been ordered by Justice Phiri to publicly retract his statements stating that traditional leaders will support Zanu-PF in the upcoming elections.
The Ministry of Local Government was also ordered to take disciplinary action against him.
Charumbira was dragged to the High Court by Election Resource Centre (ERC)'s chairperson of the board of trustees Trust Maanda, who wanted him to publicly withdraw statements urging other chiefs to support Zanu-PF in this year's general elections. In his affidavit Maanda said Charumbira's statements demanding chiefs to support Zanu-PF were unlawful and unconstitutional.
Trust Maanda, who is Election Resource Centre (ERC)'s chairperson of the board of trustees, dragged Charumbira to court demanding him to retract statements he made rallying other chiefs to support the ruling Zanu-PF in this year's general elections on the basis that they were unlawful and unconstitutional.
"The respondent (Charumbira) has acted unlawfully and moreover has failed in his constitutional duty to respect and uphold the Constitution of Zimbabwe by staying nonpartisan and away from party politics, to respect the institution of traditional leadership and not bring the institution into disrepute and to not infringe the rights and fundamental freedoms of people," Maanda said.
The application cited remarks Charumbira made in October last year at a meeting of the NCC, where he called on chiefs to support Zanu-PF and its presidential candidate in this year's elections.
"Former president (Robert) Mugabe having been deposed and president (Emmerson) Mnangagwa having taken over, on January 14, 2018, the first respondent (Charumbira) repeated his remarks that chiefs support the new president."
Maanda's organisation sought an order declaring that Charumbira's remarks violated the Constitution of Zimbabwe and that he be directed to retract the statements he made by publishing a counter statement in a newspaper with national circulation, on national radio and on national television.
The Ministry of Local Government was also ordered to take disciplinary action against him.
Charumbira was dragged to the High Court by Election Resource Centre (ERC)'s chairperson of the board of trustees Trust Maanda, who wanted him to publicly withdraw statements urging other chiefs to support Zanu-PF in this year's general elections. In his affidavit Maanda said Charumbira's statements demanding chiefs to support Zanu-PF were unlawful and unconstitutional.
Trust Maanda, who is Election Resource Centre (ERC)'s chairperson of the board of trustees, dragged Charumbira to court demanding him to retract statements he made rallying other chiefs to support the ruling Zanu-PF in this year's general elections on the basis that they were unlawful and unconstitutional.
"The respondent (Charumbira) has acted unlawfully and moreover has failed in his constitutional duty to respect and uphold the Constitution of Zimbabwe by staying nonpartisan and away from party politics, to respect the institution of traditional leadership and not bring the institution into disrepute and to not infringe the rights and fundamental freedoms of people," Maanda said.
"Former president (Robert) Mugabe having been deposed and president (Emmerson) Mnangagwa having taken over, on January 14, 2018, the first respondent (Charumbira) repeated his remarks that chiefs support the new president."
Maanda's organisation sought an order declaring that Charumbira's remarks violated the Constitution of Zimbabwe and that he be directed to retract the statements he made by publishing a counter statement in a newspaper with national circulation, on national radio and on national television.
Chief Charumbira has been ordered by Justice Phiri to publicly retract his statements stating that traditional leaders will support ZANU-PF in the upcoming elections.
— ERC (@erczimbabwe) May 9, 2018
The Ministry of Local Government was also ordered to take disciplinary action against him.#LevelPlayingField pic.twitter.com/K7wjO4ka9q
Source - Byo24News
