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Zimbabwe medical professionals wrangle spill into High Court

by Staff reporter
28 Aug 2024 at 10:15hrs | Views
The Medical Professionals and Allied Workers Union of Zimbabwe (MPAWUZ) and the National Employment Council for the Medical and Allied Industry (NECMAI) are in a leadership dispute that has reached the High Court.

The court has instructed one faction to lead the union and prepare for its congress.

The applicants in the case - Bond Matenga, Timothy Guvava, and Tecla Barangwe - are challenging NECMAI, Juliet Chirenje, Michael Sozinyu, and Minister Tawanda Kapita. They are seeking a declaratory order to ratify decisions made by MPAWUZ's national council, following judgments from the High Court and Supreme Court in 2021 and 2022.

The dispute centers on the legitimacy of MPAWUZ's national council, which the applicants argue is valid despite a court ruling invalidating the congress held on March 3, 2018. They claim that NECMAI, Chirenje, and Sozinyu have refused to recognize the national council and exploited the situation.

The respondents argue that the applicants do not have the standing to represent MPAWUZ and deny any interference with its operations.

Justice Siyabona Musithu ruled that the applicants do have standing and found the March 2018 congress unconstitutional due to procedural errors.

The court declared Sozinyu the union's secretary-general and ordered the recognition of Matenga, Guvava, and Barangwe as the legitimate representatives. The court also directed that each party bear its own legal costs.



Source - The Chronicle