Zimbabwe Court Delays Ruling in Political Leadership Fight.
A battle over party control has erupted in Zimbabwe's main opposition group. The Citizens Coalition for Change faces deep rifts as its secretary general, Sengezo Tshabangu, removed several leaders from their roles in Parliament.
The High Court heard an urgent case but did not make a ruling right away. Judge Neville Wamambo said he would decide later.
Party leader Welshman Ncube and other top officials asked the court to step in. They want to block Tshabangu from kicking them out of important committees. The group includes deputy leader Lynette Karenyi Kore, Sesel Zwidzai, and Edwin Mushoriwa.
The fired leaders say Tshabangu broke the rules. They claim he had no power to remove them from the Standing Rules and Orders Committee. They also question his pick for party chief, Nonhlahla Mlotshwa. The leaders say this job doesn't exist under Zimbabwe's laws.
Ncube plans to punish Tshabangu through party rules. His lawyer, Method Ndlovu, pointed out that Parliament's leader quickly followed Tshabangu's orders but ignored letters from Ncube's team.
"The Speaker keeps listening to him instead of the party," Ncube said in court papers. He added that Tshabangu went against a court order when he tried to change who sits on which committee.
But Tshabangu's lawyers, Lewis Uriri and Nqobani Sithole, fought back. They said the court can't even look at this case. "Parliament already accepted the changes," Uriri argued. He said it was past time to challenge what happened.
The court will announce its decision at a future date. This fight shows the deep splits in Zimbabwe's biggest opposition party as both sides claim to speak for its members.
A battle over party control has erupted in Zimbabwe's main opposition group. The Citizens Coalition for Change faces deep rifts as its secretary general, Sengezo Tshabangu, removed several leaders from their roles in Parliament.
The High Court heard an urgent case but did not make a ruling right away. Judge Neville Wamambo said he would decide later.
Party leader Welshman Ncube and other top officials asked the court to step in. They want to block Tshabangu from kicking them out of important committees. The group includes deputy leader Lynette Karenyi Kore, Sesel Zwidzai, and Edwin Mushoriwa.
The fired leaders say Tshabangu broke the rules. They claim he had no power to remove them from the Standing Rules and Orders Committee. They also question his pick for party chief, Nonhlahla Mlotshwa. The leaders say this job doesn't exist under Zimbabwe's laws.
Ncube plans to punish Tshabangu through party rules. His lawyer, Method Ndlovu, pointed out that Parliament's leader quickly followed Tshabangu's orders but ignored letters from Ncube's team.
"The Speaker keeps listening to him instead of the party," Ncube said in court papers. He added that Tshabangu went against a court order when he tried to change who sits on which committee.
But Tshabangu's lawyers, Lewis Uriri and Nqobani Sithole, fought back. They said the court can't even look at this case. "Parliament already accepted the changes," Uriri argued. He said it was past time to challenge what happened.
The court will announce its decision at a future date. This fight shows the deep splits in Zimbabwe's biggest opposition party as both sides claim to speak for its members.
