News / Local
Mwonzora lashes out at govt over Malaba saga
18 May 2021 at 01:56hrs | Views
DOUGLAS Mwonzora, leader of the opposition MDC-T outfit, who has been widely viewed as a Zanu-PF appendage, has rapped government over its recent attack on High Court judges for ruling against the extension of former Chief Justice Luke Malaba's retirement age to 75.
This was despite the fact that Mwonzora's party voted together with Zanu-PF in passing the Constitution of Zimbabwe Amendment (No 2) Bill which gave President Emmerson Mnangagwa unfettered power to appoint judges and extend their retirement age beyond the current 70 years.
Justice minister Ziyambi Ziyambi at the weekend went ballistic, accusing justices Happias Zhou, Edith Mushore and Jester Helena Charehwa who made the land landmark ruling of being captured by foreign forces.
Mwonzora's spokesperson Lloyd Damba told NewsDay that his boss was not in support of the unwarranted attack on judges.
"He does not condone the attack of the Judiciary because he (Mwonzora) is on record defending the same judges of the High Court as well as the Supreme Court when they passed the judgment against Nelson Chamisa (MDC Alliance leader) on the party leadership issue. These judges were attacked by the same hypocritical academics that are condemning Justice minister (Ziyambi) for doing what they did," Damba said.
He said Mwonzora was a democrat who believed, not only in the separation of powers, but the independence of the Judiciary since he is a practising lawyer
This was despite the fact that Mwonzora's party voted together with Zanu-PF in passing the Constitution of Zimbabwe Amendment (No 2) Bill which gave President Emmerson Mnangagwa unfettered power to appoint judges and extend their retirement age beyond the current 70 years.
Justice minister Ziyambi Ziyambi at the weekend went ballistic, accusing justices Happias Zhou, Edith Mushore and Jester Helena Charehwa who made the land landmark ruling of being captured by foreign forces.
"He does not condone the attack of the Judiciary because he (Mwonzora) is on record defending the same judges of the High Court as well as the Supreme Court when they passed the judgment against Nelson Chamisa (MDC Alliance leader) on the party leadership issue. These judges were attacked by the same hypocritical academics that are condemning Justice minister (Ziyambi) for doing what they did," Damba said.
He said Mwonzora was a democrat who believed, not only in the separation of powers, but the independence of the Judiciary since he is a practising lawyer
Source - newsday
