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Mnangagwa critic set free
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The assault case against former Zanu-PF member Sybeth Musengezi has been withdrawn by a Harare magistrate due to the absence of the key state witness.
Musengezi faced charges of assaulting airtime vendor Norest Taruberekere, who allegedly disrupted his press conference in Harare by interrupting a discussion on the state of the economy.
The press briefing quickly descended into chaos when two men, reportedly airtime vendors dressed in green aprons and with their faces covered, stormed the venue, tearing down Musengezi's banners and forcing him out of the Media Centre. Journalists witnessed the incident, which prompted police intervention. Officers removed Musengezi from the premises and escorted him onto a truck outside.
However, at the hearing before Magistrate Kudzai Mthombeni, prosecutor Takudzwa Jambawo informed the court that the key witness, Taruberekere, was nowhere to be found, leaving the prosecution no option but to withdraw the charges.
Musengezi was represented by legal practitioner Doug Coltart.
Musengezi, who gained prominence following the 2017 coup, is well known for challenging President Emmerson Mnangagwa's legitimacy in court. In 2021, he filed a court application seeking to nullify Mnangagwa's leadership of Zanu-PF, arguing that his elevation was illegal due to procedural irregularities in the party's central committee meeting that removed former President Robert Mugabe.
He contended that the meeting was invalid, as Mugabe was not incapacitated at the time, pointing out that Mugabe had presided over a Zimbabwe Open University graduation on the day of his removal. Musengezi accused senior party members of deliberately spreading falsehoods regarding Mugabe's incapacity.
In his High Court application, Musengezi requested that the late Vice President Phelekezela Mphoko be ordered to convene a special party congress within three months to fill the top leadership positions in line with the Zanu-PF constitution.
Zanu-PF, however, responded by stating that Mnangagwa, as the sitting president, was immune from civil or criminal proceedings and argued that Musengezi's court challenge to annul Mnangagwa's ascendency was legally flawed.
With the withdrawal of the assault charges, the focus remains on Musengezi's ongoing legal and political battles challenging the leadership of Zimbabwe's ruling party.
Musengezi faced charges of assaulting airtime vendor Norest Taruberekere, who allegedly disrupted his press conference in Harare by interrupting a discussion on the state of the economy.
The press briefing quickly descended into chaos when two men, reportedly airtime vendors dressed in green aprons and with their faces covered, stormed the venue, tearing down Musengezi's banners and forcing him out of the Media Centre. Journalists witnessed the incident, which prompted police intervention. Officers removed Musengezi from the premises and escorted him onto a truck outside.
However, at the hearing before Magistrate Kudzai Mthombeni, prosecutor Takudzwa Jambawo informed the court that the key witness, Taruberekere, was nowhere to be found, leaving the prosecution no option but to withdraw the charges.
Musengezi was represented by legal practitioner Doug Coltart.
Musengezi, who gained prominence following the 2017 coup, is well known for challenging President Emmerson Mnangagwa's legitimacy in court. In 2021, he filed a court application seeking to nullify Mnangagwa's leadership of Zanu-PF, arguing that his elevation was illegal due to procedural irregularities in the party's central committee meeting that removed former President Robert Mugabe.
He contended that the meeting was invalid, as Mugabe was not incapacitated at the time, pointing out that Mugabe had presided over a Zimbabwe Open University graduation on the day of his removal. Musengezi accused senior party members of deliberately spreading falsehoods regarding Mugabe's incapacity.
In his High Court application, Musengezi requested that the late Vice President Phelekezela Mphoko be ordered to convene a special party congress within three months to fill the top leadership positions in line with the Zanu-PF constitution.
Zanu-PF, however, responded by stating that Mnangagwa, as the sitting president, was immune from civil or criminal proceedings and argued that Musengezi's court challenge to annul Mnangagwa's ascendency was legally flawed.
With the withdrawal of the assault charges, the focus remains on Musengezi's ongoing legal and political battles challenging the leadership of Zimbabwe's ruling party.
Source - The Standard
