via Supreme Court finds Tsvangirai’s election case “not urgent” | SW Radio Africa January 23, 2014 By Tererai Karimakwenda
Former Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai’s legal efforts to gain access to materials from last year’s disputed elections suffered a setback again Thursday, when the Supreme Court upheld a lower court’s finding that the case was not an urgent matter.
The MDC-T leader filed two urgent applications at the Electoral Court in August last year, seeking an order directing the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) to open ballot boxes from the disputed July 31st poll.
Tsvangirai insisted there had been massive rigging and Mugabe’s claim to a 61% victory was therefore fraudulent. But Justice Chinembiri Bhunu dismissed the applications saying there was no urgency. This was upheld by the Supreme Court on Thursday.
Back in August Justice Bhunu also went further to accuse Tsvangirai’s lawyers of “bringing the integrity of the judiciary into disrepute” and recommended that they be prosecuted by the then Attorney General, Johannes Tomana.
The lawyers, Alec Muchadehama, Advocate Lewis Uriri and Tarisai Mutangi had simply included with their applications, a report from the MDC-T which criticized the judiciary.
“The Supreme Court disagreed with the judge of the Electoral Court, where he found that the lawyers were contemptuous or had brought the reputation of the court into disrepute. The Court found this ruling was not even necessary. It should not have been made in the first place,” lawyer Mutangi told SW Radio Africa.
Regarding Tsvangirai’s appeal, Mutangi said: “It means the applications are not urgent and do not have to be dealt with immediately. They are to be filed and then follow the normal procedure of all other court applications. This could mean months before the case is heard or considered.”
With the Supreme Court now having upheld Justice Bhunu’s dismissal, it is not clear what the MDC-T leader will do next. But more than six months have passed since the election results that he is challenging were announced. The MDC-T is participating in parliament and in local Councils.
Some observers now question the point of continuing the legal case.
COMMENTS
That’s the judgement to expect from a ZANU PF court. MDC & Tsvangirai must seriously start exploring OTHER OPTIONS. Using Mugabe’s courts will NOT deliver anything. Pfuti chete ndidzo dzava kutodiwa. Zvimwe zvese izvi kutamba nenguva!!!
NOT UNEXPECTED!
Poor Tsvangirai.He doesnt learn.
Are you saying the elections were not rigged and him trying to prove they were is ignorant of him? You are clearly zanupf and should be commenting in the herald. You will get a lot more acknowledgement their.Stick to your own kind.The wheel will turn and justice will be done to you and your ilk.
Poor Tsvangirai did learn, he proved the partisanship of the judiciary n ZEC. What else is expected from him, pick up arm n be a dissident?
ndezveshaisano. svoto. kunge kumahumbwe where little girls playing hop scotch flick their skirts and show their opponents their knikkers and then stick out their tongues at each other like…’what you gonna do about it.’ But that game is only funny when little girls play it.
When played by grown supposedly educated men / professionals who pledged to serve without favour it becomes pathetic and shameful.
God hates in justice. His judgment is coming. Leaders be waned. Ezekiel 14:13
HAS THIS SITE BEEN TAKEN OVER BY ZANUPF OR THE HERALD. ????????????????????????????????? NO OTHER COMMENTS ALLOWED
Tsvangirai-wake up and smell the roses!
ZPF do not understand that theft, corruption and lying are a sin before God and bring a curse upon their house and this nation. They think God doesn’t see and don’t understand about judgment. They need to wake up as all will be revealed.
Do tell.