News / National
Charumbira defies court again as he declares chiefs' support for Zanu-PF
15 Dec 2018 at 10:00hrs | Views
Traditional leaders will continue to support Zanu-PF and are ready to be taken to court for their defiance, the President of the Chiefs Council, Chief Fortune Charumbira, said on Friday.
Justice Clement Phiri of the Harare High Court earlier this year ordered Charumbira to withdraw a public statement that traditional leaders would support Emmerson Mnangagwa, the Zanu-PF presidential candidate, in general elections held on July 30.
The judge said Charumbira's remarks made on October 28, 2017 and on January 13, 2018, were a violation of the Constitution of Zimbabwe which says traditional leaders must be apolitical.
Speaking during the ongoing Zanu-PF annual conference in Esigodini, Chief Charumbira declared: "The problem is that some in the audience are nervous. They were actually saying, ‘chiefs, why don't you leave politics' and I said ‘no, chiefs are doing their job.'
"Those in Zanu-PF must not be more nervous than the chiefs themselves when we're working with you. Some of you are nervous and are actually discouraging the chiefs … We will not stop coming. Those who want to go to court, we'll meet in court. Zanu-PF is the party of chiefs."
MDC spokesman Jacob Mafume said last night: "What Chief Charumbira is saying is in contempt of court. It is pointless bravado that brought Robert Mugabe to the brink and that will bring Emmerson Mnangagwa to the brink faster than anyone can imagine.
"It's uneducated and uncontrolled arrogance that precedes a fall. It doesn't help the traditional leaders' cause nor the Zanu-PF cause that the head of chiefs can be blatantly partisan in violation of the constitution.
"If he had wanted to play a respectable role he should have gone there, if he had to, to raise the concerns of his subjects, and the subjects of many chiefs, who are suffering from the economic collapse."
Justice Clement Phiri of the Harare High Court earlier this year ordered Charumbira to withdraw a public statement that traditional leaders would support Emmerson Mnangagwa, the Zanu-PF presidential candidate, in general elections held on July 30.
The judge said Charumbira's remarks made on October 28, 2017 and on January 13, 2018, were a violation of the Constitution of Zimbabwe which says traditional leaders must be apolitical.
Speaking during the ongoing Zanu-PF annual conference in Esigodini, Chief Charumbira declared: "The problem is that some in the audience are nervous. They were actually saying, ‘chiefs, why don't you leave politics' and I said ‘no, chiefs are doing their job.'
MDC spokesman Jacob Mafume said last night: "What Chief Charumbira is saying is in contempt of court. It is pointless bravado that brought Robert Mugabe to the brink and that will bring Emmerson Mnangagwa to the brink faster than anyone can imagine.
"It's uneducated and uncontrolled arrogance that precedes a fall. It doesn't help the traditional leaders' cause nor the Zanu-PF cause that the head of chiefs can be blatantly partisan in violation of the constitution.
"If he had wanted to play a respectable role he should have gone there, if he had to, to raise the concerns of his subjects, and the subjects of many chiefs, who are suffering from the economic collapse."
Source - ZimLive
