Tsvangirai to appear in court next week

THE case in which Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) leader, Morgan Tsvangirai, is being sued for allegedly failing to pay for political consultancy allegedly rendered by a Harare man in the run-up to the 2013 harmonised elections will be heard in the Labour Court next week.

Justice Lilian Hove will on March 6 hear a case in which Moreprecision Muzadzi, president of little known Voice of the People party, is seeking the court's permission to sue Tsvangirai out of time saying he could not have instituted legal proceedings earlier because he had confidence that a person the former Prime Minister's stature would act in good faith and honour his side of the bargain.

Muzadzi claims his consultancy services to Tsvangirai involved lobbying leaders of all opposition parties in Zimbabwe not to contest the 2013 presidential elections, but to rally behind the MDC-T candidate, on the understanding that Tsvangirai would pay him in cash and kind, which promise Tsvangirai has since reneged on.

"I did a job for Morgan Richard Tsvangirai from January 2013 to July 2013 as a negotiator for his opposition grand coalition project for his presidential candidature in 2013 presidential elections," wrote Muzadzi in his founding affidavit.

Muzadzi said he together with Kisinoti Mukwazhe, the leader of another microscopic political outfit, the Zimbabwe Democratic Party, managed to get leaders of at least 16 opposition parties to agree to stand aside in favour of Tsvangirai in the 2013 presidential election.

Muzadzi said together with Mukwazhe, they were each promised US$7 800 and a Nissan NP200 vehicle by Tsvangirai.

He claims the embassies of Australia, the United States of America and the head of the European Union delegation in Zimbabwe were supporting the clandestine project.

However, the deal later did not material, resulting in Tsvangirai refusing to pay for the services rendered.

Muzadzi said a follow up on Tsvangirai showed that the former trade unionist was unwilling to pay for the work done for him, hence his belated decision to approach the Labour Court.

"The applicant didn't want to tarnish the repute of the former prime minister of Zimbabwe over the 'paltry' allowances (US$7 800 and Nissan PN200)," said Muzadzi.

Under Zimbabwean law, claims of a labour nature usually prescribe after two years, which is the reason why Muzadzi has applied for condonation of late noting of his appeal.