'Mnangagwa challenger is bogus'

FORMER Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (Zacc) commissioner Goodson Nguni has filed a joinder at the High Court in a case where President Emmerson Mnangagwa's legitimacy is being challenged by a Zanu-PF member, Sybeth Musengezi.

Nguni, who leads the Federation of Non-Governmental Organisations Trust, filed the joinder supporting Mnangagwa's ascendancy as legal, before accusing Musengezi of being bogus.

In his founding affidavit filed before the High Court, Nguni accused Musengezi of deliberately misrepresenting facts to support his claim to Mnangagwa's alleged illegitimacy.

"The fact that Musengezi's founding affidavit is riddled with perjured averments, I urge this honourable court to grant an order of joinder of the applicants such that those critical areas I wish to lay bare to this honourable court will demonstrate the legality of Mnangagwa's assumption of Zanu-PF presidency and first secretary of the same," Nguni submitted.

"Many other reasons as can publicly be observed from the parliamentary records of 2017, and court orders then, three contemporaneous processes, ensued namely, that the Zimbabwe Defence Forces obtained a court order in their favour validating Operation Restore Legacy, whereas the dismissal of Mnangagwa from government was invalidated too by order of the High Court whereas, Zanu-PF as a party from whom the former President was elected into government commenced processes to correct what clearly was amounting to a constitutional crisis arising from apparent illegalities that had been caused in Zanu-PF and government by people aforesaid, generally identified as G40."

He said the court could take judicial notice of the fact that the late former President Robert Mugabe later resigned from office after Parliament commenced impeachment proceedings against him.

Nguni accused Musengezi of having a hidden agenda aimed at soiling Mnangagwa's image.

He said Musengezi had membership in different districts around Harare, and used addresses of people who had also filed affidavits confirming he did not stay at their places of residence.

Musengezi filed papers at the High Court in October seeking a ruling declaring null and void a November 19, 2017 Zanu-PF central committee meeting that elevated Mnangagwa to acting party president.

Zanu-PF, Mnangagwa, Zanu-PF secretary for administration Obert Mpofu, Zanu-PF finance secretary Patrick Chinamasa, former Vice-President Phelekezela Mphoko and ex-Zanu-PF administration secretary Ignatius Chombo were cited as respondents in the case.