zwnews.com Political Reporter- Simba Moyo
The Minister of Higher and Tertiary Education Professor Jonathan Moyo has thrown salvo at Vice-President Emmerson Mnangangwa, saying he has been idle for the past 4 years as Minister of Justice in Zimbabwe, but only busy trying to change the laws in his favour as he prepares to be president.
Moyo says Mnangagwa was only good at manipulating and trying to arm-twist the country’s supreme law, (the Constitution) to suit his taste.
He blames the VP, who he is believes to be positioning himself to replace President Robert Mugabe, of trying to amend the Constitution, to give him more presidential powers in the event that he takes over from the ailing Mugabe, who turned 93 this year.
Moyo says this in reference to the presidential powers to appoint the country’s Chief Justice, the topic made headlines few months ago, with the government expressing willingness to amend the supreme law to that effect.
“In 4 years as Minister of Justice what has the Butcher done other than sponsoring the young fool Zibani & pushing Constitutional Amendment No1,” chided Moyo.
According to Moyo, Mnangagwa used a University of Zimbabwe law student Romeo Zibani to challenge the legality of the public interviews in direct contravention with the national Constitution, and proposes for its amendment to give the President the power to pick a CJ of his own liking.
While the Justice Service Commission (JSC) was busy conducting the public interviews in accordance with the Supreme law, Mnangagwa was already implementing the student’s proposed Constitutional amendment, to give him power to appoint a CJ of his choice, if he took over from Mugabe.
Justice Charles Hungwe who knew about Mnangagwa’s willingness to amend the Constitution, had ruled that the interviews be stopped, which he got slams from various lawyers who quizzed the basis for his judgment.
Analysts have slammed the move saying in the normal sense an intention to change the Constitution should not invalidate the current Supreme law. Some claim that only in Zimbabwe is where a judge gives priority to a memorandum and a draft Bill ahead of the Constitution.
Moyo, at that time, could not be left from the debate, as he added his voice describing the ruling as efforts that overrode the Supreme Law, driven by the Justice Minister’s intention to amend a provision as scandalous.
“A court cannot rely on an unsigned memo and draft Bill to stop a constitutional body from performing its constitutional duty. Scandalous!” he slammed.
The judge was being chided by people who did not know Mugabe’s plan, until now they have now seen it for themselves; the basis of his ruling was from the highest office in the land.
