Zimbabwe's Main Opposition Sticks by Leader After Court Judgment
Zimbabwe's Main Opposition Sticks by Leader After Court Judgment
(Bloomberg) -- Zimbabwe’s biggest opposition party signaled it may stick with its current leader after the High Court ruled his appointment was illegal and all decisions he made in the role null and void.
Any decision on the validity of Nelson Chamisa’s leadership “can’t be a judicial process,” Movement for Democratic Change spokesman Jacob Mafume said by phone. “The choice of leaders of any political party the world over is the sole preserve of members of that party.”
He didn’t say whether the MDC would appeal Wednesday’s ruling, which was announced by Judge Edith Mushore in the capital, Harare. It would leave the MDC without an official leader until a new party election.
The court case was brought by Elias Mashavire, a MDC official who challenged Chamisa’s appointment by the party’s long-time leader Morgan Tsvangirai. Tsvangirai named Chamisa, then deputy president, as his successor shortly before his death in February 2018.
To contact the reporters on this story: Desmond Kumbuka in Harare at dkumbuka@bloomberg.net;Brian Latham in Harare at blatham@bloomberg.net
To contact the editors responsible for this story: John McCorry at jmccorry@bloomberg.net, Michael Gunn, Helen Nyambura
©2019 Bloomberg L.P.