CHIEF Fortune Charumbira faces a new court challenge after the Trustees of Elections Resource Centre (ERC) dragged him to the High Court for refusing to make an apology for his continued partisan support of Zanu PF.
Charumbira, who is the President of the National Council of Chiefs, has been embroiled in a legal battle with ERC since 2017 after he urged other chiefs to rally behind the ruling party ahead of the 2018 elections.
The ERC took him to the High Court where he was directed to issue an apology, but declined.
This has forced the ERC to approach the High Court again Thursday, seeking an order to compel the courts to punish the under fire legislator.
According to court papers; “Sometime in October 2017 at the official opening of the annual conference of the National Council of Chiefs, Chief Charumbira urged other chiefs to rally behind the ruling party during the elections 2018 Harmonised Elections.”
This was against the provisions of the country’s Constitution which obliges traditional leaders to be non-partisan and apolitical.
In an affidavit supporting the summons, ERC Executive Director Tawanda Chimhini submitted that Charumbira did not only defeat the course of justice, but also disrespected the judicial system and the Constitution.
“Because of the attitude of the respondent (Charumbira) who has disdainfully failed and or refused to comply with the court order and attracting unnecessary court proceedings, he should be mulcted with costs at a legal practitioner and client scale,” Chimhini said.
“It is imperative that respondent be punished for disobeying the court order and bringing the court into disrepute. He should be compelled to obey the court order.”
The matter is yet to be set down for hearing. – New Zim
