The Supreme Court of Zimbabwe on Tuesday ruled that opposition leader Nelson Chamisa is not the legitimate leader of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC).
The judgment was meant to settle the leadership wrangle between Chamisa and one Dr Thokozani Khupe.
Thokozani Khuphe is a Zimbabwean politician, trade unionist and the President of the MDC-T breakaway faction of the Movement for Democratic Change.
She also served as Deputy Prime Minister of Zimbabwe between 2009 and 2013.
The MDC-Alliance leaders Chamisa and Morgan Komichi challenged a High Court ruling of May 2019 which declared Chamisa as illegitimately acting as the party leader.
Dr Thokozani Khupe through her lawyers asked the Supreme Court to throw out Mr Chamisa’s appeal on legitimacy to enable her take over the party.
“As the final arbiter of the law, the Court is charged with ensuring the people the promise of equal justice under law and, thereby, also functions as guardian and interpreter of the Constitution.” pic.twitter.com/meaQ8QbnXm
— Dr Thokozani Khupe (@DrThoko_Khupe) March 31, 2020
State-own newspaper the Herald reports that Tuesday’s ruling means Dr. Khupe would have to be re-instated as the proper leader of the Movement for Democratic Change.
The opposition party would now have to go back and start from February 15, 2018 after the death of Morgan Tsvangirai.
Tsvangirai’s death left the party in disarray as there was a jostle for power due to lack of proper transition plan before his demise.
Nelson Chamisa who was acting as leader after Tsvangirai’s death led the party into the 2018 presidential election but lost to current president Emmerson Mnangagwa.
DICTATORSHIP NEVER WINS. DICTATORSHIP ALWAYS ULTIMATELY FALLS AND SO SHALL IT BE WITH ALL THOSE WHO CONNIVE WITH IT!THE PEOPLE ALWAYS WIN AND THE PEOPLE SHALL GOVERN! BIGGER AFTER IT ALL. CORRECTNESS NEVER COMES SECOND BEST!
— nelson chamisa (@nelsonchamisa) March 31, 2020
Source: Africafeeds.com