The President of Zimbabwe His Excellency Emmerson Mnangagwa has been challenged by Sybeth Musengezi.
Sybeth Musengezi, a card-carrying member for 20 years, wants the High Court to declare the resolutions of that central committee meeting “null and void”, and for a special congress to be ordered within three months to “regularise the top leadership positions in the party.”
Musengezi argues that Mnangagwa, who had been sacked as vice president, was thrust as leader by an unlawful central committee meeting convened by unknown people including Patrick Chinamsa and Obert Mpofu, in violation of the party’s constitution.
He accused the parties of taking advantage of the unfolding military coup, dubbed ‘Operation Restore Legacy’, to topple the late former President Robert Mugabe from power.
“The implementation of the strategy to topple Mugabe from the position of president and first secretary of Zanu PF commenced with unknown individuals convening a purported special session of the Central Committee of Zanu PF at the party’s headquarters on Sunday, November 19, 2017,” Musengezi said.
The meeting resolved that the top leadership of the party was incapacitated to execute their duties in terms of the constitution, and Mpofu was elected to preside over the proceedings as he was the most senior member of the party present.
Musengezi said the resolution document betrays the unconstitutionality and unlawfulness of the purported special session of the Central Committee not least because the Zanu PF constitution says only the first secretary (president), second secretary or the chairperson can preside over a central committee meeting.
Musengezi said the meeting was not convened by the then secretary for administration, Ignatius Chombo, and Mugabe was not incapacitated at all to preside over a lawfully convened session of the central committee in terms of the party constitution.
