HARARE: The High Court of Zimbabwe has ruled that Nelson Chamisa is NOT president of the MDC.
It also ruled that the vice-presidential appointments made by late party leader Tsvangirai are null and void. The court has ordered the party to convene an extraordinary congress within a month declaring Chamisa’s takeover after Tsvangirai’s death last year was ultra-vires the party’s constitution.
It has also been ruled that all actions by Chamisa since then be declared invalid.
The court ordered the MDC to use pre-2014 structures in which Thokozani Khupe was the only Vice President of the party, meaning that at the moment, according to the latest ruling at least, Khupe is the legitimate leader of the opposition.
Ironically, the ruling comes a few days after a video surfaced in which President Emmerson Mnangagwa infamously declared that Zanu-PF controlled every single entity within the country.
Below is part of the High Court ruling by Justice Mushore,
The appointment of 2nd and 3rd Respondents as Deputy Presidents of the Movement of Democratic Change Party were unconstitutional and therefore null and void.
The appointment of 2nd Respondent as Acting President and President of the Movement for Democratic Change party was unconstitutional and therefore null and void.
All appointments and or/reassignments and all actions of the 2nd Respondents in his purported capacities as Deputy/Acting or incumbent President were unconstitutional, and therefore null and void.
The 1st respondent be and is hereby ordered to hold an Extra-Ordinary Congress after the elapse of at least one month after the date of this order.
The Respondents are ordered to pay the applicants costs of suit, jointly and severally, the one paying the other to be absolved.
