News / National
Mnangagwa legitimacy challenger's home fire-bombed
02 Oct 2022 at 04:03hrs | Views
THE home of a Zanu-PF activist Sybeth Musengezi was allegedly petrol-bombed Saturday evening, in an attack that left a vehicle and property destroyed.
Musengezi is challenging President Emmerson Mnangagwa's legitimacy as Zanu-PF leader after he assumed power following the 2017 military coup.
The activist filed papers before the Harare High Court in which he wants the 19 November 2017 Zanu-PF Central Committee meeting that removed former president Robert Mugabe from the helm of the party and installed his then estranged deputy, Mnangagwa, as new leader to be declared unconstitutional.
The attack came ahead of the start of the case at the High Court in Harare on Monday.
Musengezi revealed the attack on Twitter, calling for help, later adding that neighbours had helped to put the fire out.
According to Musengezi, various provisions of the Zanu-PF constitution were violated during the hastily convened "kangaroo" special central committee session which toppled the now-late president Mugabe from the position of party and national president.
"All of this was done outside the provision of the Zanu-PF constitution, which clearly stipulates that the secretary of administration of Zanu-PF is the only one who could convene a session of the central committee in the exercise of his or her powers," Musengezi argues.
He added: "But unfortunately for reasons known to the individuals who convened the meeting, the secretary for administration did not convene the session of the central committee."
The meeting was allegedly convened by Patrick Chinamasa who was the secretary for legal affairs in the party.
He cited another anomaly about the way the meeting was handled, arguing that the Zanu-PF constitution stipulates that only the party president can preside over central committee meetings and, in his or her absence, the deputy president or chairperson can preside over the proceedings.
None of the three chaired the meeting nor were they invited to attend the gathering, making the special session an illegal gathering, according to Musengezi.
Musengezi is challenging President Emmerson Mnangagwa's legitimacy as Zanu-PF leader after he assumed power following the 2017 military coup.
The activist filed papers before the Harare High Court in which he wants the 19 November 2017 Zanu-PF Central Committee meeting that removed former president Robert Mugabe from the helm of the party and installed his then estranged deputy, Mnangagwa, as new leader to be declared unconstitutional.
The attack came ahead of the start of the case at the High Court in Harare on Monday.
Musengezi revealed the attack on Twitter, calling for help, later adding that neighbours had helped to put the fire out.
"All of this was done outside the provision of the Zanu-PF constitution, which clearly stipulates that the secretary of administration of Zanu-PF is the only one who could convene a session of the central committee in the exercise of his or her powers," Musengezi argues.
He added: "But unfortunately for reasons known to the individuals who convened the meeting, the secretary for administration did not convene the session of the central committee."
The meeting was allegedly convened by Patrick Chinamasa who was the secretary for legal affairs in the party.
He cited another anomaly about the way the meeting was handled, arguing that the Zanu-PF constitution stipulates that only the party president can preside over central committee meetings and, in his or her absence, the deputy president or chairperson can preside over the proceedings.
None of the three chaired the meeting nor were they invited to attend the gathering, making the special session an illegal gathering, according to Musengezi.
Source - NewZimbabwe
