News / National
Zanu-PF readies to defend Mutasa court challenge
09 Mar 2015 at 06:26hrs | Views
ZANU-PF will file opposing papers to a court application lodged with the High Court in Harare by expelled Politburo members Didymus Mutasa and Rugare Gumbo challenging their dismissal from the party, a senior official said yesterday.
The party's secretary for legal affairs Patrick Chinamasa ridiculed the duo's application, saying the two had no case but the ruling party would in due course file its papers responding to the matter.
Mutasa, the former secretary for administration and Gumbo, the former secretary for information and publicity, last week took President Robert Mugabe and Zanu-PF to court, challenging their recent dismissal from the party and seeking nullification of the party's 2014 congress.
Chinamasa said in as much as Mutasa and Gumbo's application was baseless, the party would respond as expected by the courts.
"As far as the party is concerned, the two have no case. They sent a mountain of papers which mean nothing. We're obviously going to oppose as the courts expect us to respond to the application," said Chinamasa who was in Bulawayo to launch the party's restructuring exercise.
He said the application had no legal basis.
"Their application has no legal basis and we would want to examine the minds of the lawyers who would support such an application. They wouldn't be real lawyers."
In their joint court challenge, Mutasa and Gumbo are adamant that the Zanu-PF December elective congress, which saw the summary dismissal of party officials linked to former Vice President Joice Mujuru, was illegal and, as such, incapable of producing genuine leaders who could sit to determine their status in Zanu-PF.
President Mugabe on Friday scoffed at the court challenge instituted by Mutasa and Gumbo, saying the application was bound to fail.
He said it was a waste of resources as no court could interfere with disciplinary matters of the revolutionary party.
Mugabe said Zanu-PF would remain guided by its constitution and would not be shaken by Mutasa's application.
The legal challenge, filed at the High Court by Mutasa and Gumbo's lawyers, came a few hours after Mutasa and his nephew, Temba Mliswa, had been stripped of their Parliamentary seats by the Speaker of Parliament, Advocate Jacob Mudenda, on the ruling party's orders.
Mutasa was Member of House Assembly for Headlands while Mliswa was the Hurungwe West legislator.
President Mugabe said even if a judge or magistrate was going to consider the matter for possible hearing, Zanu-PF would question his or her educational qualifications.
He reiterated that party matters should be dealt with from within, while issues outside the party would be dealt with by the judiciary.
The President said fools should be allowed to expose themselves if they do not listen to sound advice.
The party's secretary for legal affairs Patrick Chinamasa ridiculed the duo's application, saying the two had no case but the ruling party would in due course file its papers responding to the matter.
Mutasa, the former secretary for administration and Gumbo, the former secretary for information and publicity, last week took President Robert Mugabe and Zanu-PF to court, challenging their recent dismissal from the party and seeking nullification of the party's 2014 congress.
Chinamasa said in as much as Mutasa and Gumbo's application was baseless, the party would respond as expected by the courts.
"As far as the party is concerned, the two have no case. They sent a mountain of papers which mean nothing. We're obviously going to oppose as the courts expect us to respond to the application," said Chinamasa who was in Bulawayo to launch the party's restructuring exercise.
He said the application had no legal basis.
"Their application has no legal basis and we would want to examine the minds of the lawyers who would support such an application. They wouldn't be real lawyers."
In their joint court challenge, Mutasa and Gumbo are adamant that the Zanu-PF December elective congress, which saw the summary dismissal of party officials linked to former Vice President Joice Mujuru, was illegal and, as such, incapable of producing genuine leaders who could sit to determine their status in Zanu-PF.
President Mugabe on Friday scoffed at the court challenge instituted by Mutasa and Gumbo, saying the application was bound to fail.
He said it was a waste of resources as no court could interfere with disciplinary matters of the revolutionary party.
Mugabe said Zanu-PF would remain guided by its constitution and would not be shaken by Mutasa's application.
The legal challenge, filed at the High Court by Mutasa and Gumbo's lawyers, came a few hours after Mutasa and his nephew, Temba Mliswa, had been stripped of their Parliamentary seats by the Speaker of Parliament, Advocate Jacob Mudenda, on the ruling party's orders.
Mutasa was Member of House Assembly for Headlands while Mliswa was the Hurungwe West legislator.
President Mugabe said even if a judge or magistrate was going to consider the matter for possible hearing, Zanu-PF would question his or her educational qualifications.
He reiterated that party matters should be dealt with from within, while issues outside the party would be dealt with by the judiciary.
The President said fools should be allowed to expose themselves if they do not listen to sound advice.
Source - chronicle
