News / National
Bhasikiti sues Mugabe
10 Jun 2015 at 06:59hrs | Views
Mwenezi East National Assembly member Mr Kudakwashe Bhasikiti has taken President Mugabe and Zanu-PF to court challenging his expulsion from the party.
Mr Bhasikiti, an erstwhile ruling party Politburo member and Minister of State for Masvingo Provincial Affairs, was fired alongside several others on May 21 this year for alleged involvement in a plot to topple President Mugabe.
Through his lawyers, Tendai Biti Law Chambers, Mr Bhasikiti filed a review application at the High Court arguing that due process was never followed in his dismissal from the party and that the decision be nullified.
President Mugabe and Zanu-PF are listed as first and second respondents in the court application.
Mr Bhasikiti, in his founding affidavit, argued that his constitutional rights were infringed and that the decision should be nullified.
"The decision to expel me, taken by the second respondent in a meeting chaired by the first respondent, is null and void. For starters, I was never subjected to the benefit of due process," Mr Bhasikiti said.
"I was not charged of any offence and have not received any notice of any charge against me. I have not appeared before any disciplinary hearing, I have not given my side of the story. I do not even know why I have been expelled," reads the affidavit.
Mr Bhasikiti said he had a right to be given reasons for the expulsion.
He argued that the Politburo that fired him had no authority to make such a decision.
"I was expelled by the Politburo? It does not have any powers of expulsion. Thus the decision to expel me is grossly irregular in that the Politburo that expelled me does not have such powers in terms of the respondent's (Zanu-PF) constitution," he said.
Bhasikiti said the Administration of Justice Act was breached because he was not given adequate notice of the nature of the charges, reasonable opportunity to make representations and adequate notice of right of review or appeal.
He further argued that all the Politburo members who decided his case were biased.
"I also wish to bring it to the court's attention that all the members of the Politburo were grossly biased against myself and could not have sat in my matter," he said.
"The challenge with the second respondent is that since August 2014, the party has been on an onslaught against those perceived to be in sympathy with the former Vice President Dr Joice Mujuru. I have also been included in this category," he said.
Bhasikiti argued that his right to due process and protection of the law enshrined under Section 56 (1) of the Constitution was violated.
To that end, Bhasikiti is seeking a declaration that his rights were violated.
He also argued that his right to administrative justice under Section 68 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe was also breached.
Bhasikiti said Zanu-PF even failed to follow its own constitution in expelling him.
He said his perceived alignment to Dr Mujuru also caused his expulsion from Government where he was Masvingo Provincial Affairs Minister.
President Mugabe and Zanu-PF are yet to respond to the court application.
Mr Bhasikiti, an erstwhile ruling party Politburo member and Minister of State for Masvingo Provincial Affairs, was fired alongside several others on May 21 this year for alleged involvement in a plot to topple President Mugabe.
Through his lawyers, Tendai Biti Law Chambers, Mr Bhasikiti filed a review application at the High Court arguing that due process was never followed in his dismissal from the party and that the decision be nullified.
President Mugabe and Zanu-PF are listed as first and second respondents in the court application.
Mr Bhasikiti, in his founding affidavit, argued that his constitutional rights were infringed and that the decision should be nullified.
"The decision to expel me, taken by the second respondent in a meeting chaired by the first respondent, is null and void. For starters, I was never subjected to the benefit of due process," Mr Bhasikiti said.
"I was not charged of any offence and have not received any notice of any charge against me. I have not appeared before any disciplinary hearing, I have not given my side of the story. I do not even know why I have been expelled," reads the affidavit.
Mr Bhasikiti said he had a right to be given reasons for the expulsion.
He argued that the Politburo that fired him had no authority to make such a decision.
"I was expelled by the Politburo? It does not have any powers of expulsion. Thus the decision to expel me is grossly irregular in that the Politburo that expelled me does not have such powers in terms of the respondent's (Zanu-PF) constitution," he said.
Bhasikiti said the Administration of Justice Act was breached because he was not given adequate notice of the nature of the charges, reasonable opportunity to make representations and adequate notice of right of review or appeal.
He further argued that all the Politburo members who decided his case were biased.
"I also wish to bring it to the court's attention that all the members of the Politburo were grossly biased against myself and could not have sat in my matter," he said.
"The challenge with the second respondent is that since August 2014, the party has been on an onslaught against those perceived to be in sympathy with the former Vice President Dr Joice Mujuru. I have also been included in this category," he said.
Bhasikiti argued that his right to due process and protection of the law enshrined under Section 56 (1) of the Constitution was violated.
To that end, Bhasikiti is seeking a declaration that his rights were violated.
He also argued that his right to administrative justice under Section 68 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe was also breached.
Bhasikiti said Zanu-PF even failed to follow its own constitution in expelling him.
He said his perceived alignment to Dr Mujuru also caused his expulsion from Government where he was Masvingo Provincial Affairs Minister.
President Mugabe and Zanu-PF are yet to respond to the court application.
Source - the herald
