Ndiweni: High Court Must Punish Charumbira For Supporting ZANU PF
Dethroned Ntabazinduna Chief, Felix Nhlanhlayamangwe Ndiweni has asked the High Court of Zimbabwe to punish the President of the National Chiefs Council Chief Fortune Charumbira for dabbling in party politics.
Charumbira was on Friday quoted as saying “We own ZANU-PF” while addressing the ruling party’s attendants in their just ended annual national congress.
The Chief’s utterances violate Section 281 (2) of the Constitution which forbids traditional leaders from being members of political parties or in any way participating in partisan politics.
Charumbira was ordered by the High Court to withdraw a similar statement that he had issued in 2017 when he urged chiefs to rally behind President Emmerson Mnangagwa ahead of the then upcoming 2018 general elections.
Ndiweni argued that the High Court must be asked to effect a custodial sentence upon Charumbira as a restraining measure. He said:
The President of the National Chiefs Council has already been ordered by the High Court not to get involved in partisan politics.
The High Court ordered him to withdraw his previous statements, with respect to openly supporting ZANU PF and enunciating it to that effect.
It is not clear whether he actually did publicly withdraw those statements to this day. He has once again made those statements in public and in this case, Charumbira must be taken back to the courts for contempt of court.
He repeated the same offence in the public domain and on this occasion, the court must be asked to effect a custodial sentence upon him as a restraining measure.
Ndiweni said Charumbira’s statements are making it difficult for people under Chief Charumbira’s territory to approach him for help especially those who support the opposition.
