News / National
Chamisa's lawyer denies giving Mnangagwa counsel as coup debate rages on
03 May 2023 at 16:56hrs | Views
Citizens Coalition for Change leader Nelson Chamisa's lawyer and close ally, Thabani Mpofu has refuted allegations that he was consulted by President Emmerson Mnangagwa after his legitimacy was challenged by Zanu-PF activist Sybeth Musengezi.
Mpofu was responding to allegations that he is being paid by the Mnangagwa camp in their battle for legitimacy against Musengezi.
Prior to allegations of being paid, one Ali Naka had uploaded a picture of a letter allegedly addressed to Mpofu from Mnangagwa's lawyers.
"Counsel is instructed to consider the Constitutional application and to assist in drafting opposing papers," read the letter.
The picture of the letter was captioned; "Good evening Advocate Thabani Mpofu. Village intelligence has provided evidence that Emerson Mnangagwa's lawyers consulted you on the Sybeth Musengezi case where he challenged Mnangagwa's legitimacy to lead Zanu-PF and Zimbabwe."
"How do you explain this when you are Nelson Chamisa's lawyer? How can the main opposition leader's lawyer work with his opponent's lawyers," queried Ali Naka on Twitter.
In response Mpofu said; "Everything else I will ignore but not lies. For the record, it's completely false and concocted imagination, that I acted, in any way, for Mnangagwa against Sybeth Musengezi.
"As regards my professional duties, I dutifully yield to my oath of office".
Mpofu became a darling to many following his role in representing Chamisa after the disputed 2018 elections.
His allegiance to the opposition was thrown into question following a debate on the legality of the November 2017 coup that toppled late former President Robert Mugabe from power.
The legality of the events in November 2017, drew observations from occurrences and rulings from 1965 during the Unilateral Declaration of Independence era.
The resurfaced coup debate drew many sentiments, including comments from former Cabinet Minister Jonathan Moyo who argued against the judgments by Chief Justice Luke Malaba and Justice Chiweshe.
"This is more so given that Chiweshe's ‘Consent Order' was confirmed in the ConCourt by Chief Justice Malaba sitting alone in his Chambers without hearing Mugabe in July 2018 when he ruled – in a case in which he denied ConCourt access to Liberal Democrats & Ors to challenge the legality of the 2017 coup – that ‘Mugabe resigned freely and voluntarily on 21 November 2017'; hence there was no coup.
"Malaba's solo confirmation of Chiweshe's ‘Consent Order' was therefore flabbergasting. This is because Justice Chiweshe's ‘Consent Order' – which Malaba purported to confirm – acknowledged that there was a coup and ‘legalised' it by 'consent' between the parties [who outrageously were said to include Mugabe himself] that the same ‘consenting' Mugabe had ‘abdicated his constitutional function'," Moyo said.
Mpofu was responding to allegations that he is being paid by the Mnangagwa camp in their battle for legitimacy against Musengezi.
Prior to allegations of being paid, one Ali Naka had uploaded a picture of a letter allegedly addressed to Mpofu from Mnangagwa's lawyers.
"Counsel is instructed to consider the Constitutional application and to assist in drafting opposing papers," read the letter.
The picture of the letter was captioned; "Good evening Advocate Thabani Mpofu. Village intelligence has provided evidence that Emerson Mnangagwa's lawyers consulted you on the Sybeth Musengezi case where he challenged Mnangagwa's legitimacy to lead Zanu-PF and Zimbabwe."
"How do you explain this when you are Nelson Chamisa's lawyer? How can the main opposition leader's lawyer work with his opponent's lawyers," queried Ali Naka on Twitter.
In response Mpofu said; "Everything else I will ignore but not lies. For the record, it's completely false and concocted imagination, that I acted, in any way, for Mnangagwa against Sybeth Musengezi.
"As regards my professional duties, I dutifully yield to my oath of office".
Everything else I will ignore but not lies. For the record, it's completely FALSE and concocted imagination, that I acted, in any way, for Mnangagwa against Sybeth Musengezi. As regards my professional duties, I dutifully yield to my oath of office. My words are ended! pic.twitter.com/x6EvDBt7pu
— Thabani Mpofu (@adv_fulcrum) May 3, 2023
Mpofu became a darling to many following his role in representing Chamisa after the disputed 2018 elections.
His allegiance to the opposition was thrown into question following a debate on the legality of the November 2017 coup that toppled late former President Robert Mugabe from power.
The legality of the events in November 2017, drew observations from occurrences and rulings from 1965 during the Unilateral Declaration of Independence era.
The resurfaced coup debate drew many sentiments, including comments from former Cabinet Minister Jonathan Moyo who argued against the judgments by Chief Justice Luke Malaba and Justice Chiweshe.
"This is more so given that Chiweshe's ‘Consent Order' was confirmed in the ConCourt by Chief Justice Malaba sitting alone in his Chambers without hearing Mugabe in July 2018 when he ruled – in a case in which he denied ConCourt access to Liberal Democrats & Ors to challenge the legality of the 2017 coup – that ‘Mugabe resigned freely and voluntarily on 21 November 2017'; hence there was no coup.
"Malaba's solo confirmation of Chiweshe's ‘Consent Order' was therefore flabbergasting. This is because Justice Chiweshe's ‘Consent Order' – which Malaba purported to confirm – acknowledged that there was a coup and ‘legalised' it by 'consent' between the parties [who outrageously were said to include Mugabe himself] that the same ‘consenting' Mugabe had ‘abdicated his constitutional function'," Moyo said.
Source - NewZimbabwe
