Africa-Press – Zimbabwe. By Costa Nkomo – PRESIDENT Emmerson Mnangagwa’s spokesman George Charamba has vowed ousted Chief Justice Luke Malaba will soon be back to his job.
This follows a High Court order Saturday, setting aside the extension of the top judge’s term of office by another five years.
Malaba turned 70 on Friday and by operation of the law, he was supposed to leave his job on retirement, but a rushed Constitutional Amendment sponsored by Zanu PF gave Mnangagwa the legal tools to grant the judge another five years at the helm of the country’s judiciary.
Following the ruling, social media was set abuzz Saturday with political commentators describing the ruling by Justice Happius Zhou and his two High Court colleagues as historic.
Zhou said Malaba could not be a beneficiary of the Constitution of Zimbabwe Amendment Act Number 2.
Many had argued Mnangagwa re-appointed Malaba with eyes on the 2023 elections while also rewarding the ousted jurist for upholding his disputed electoral 2018 victory which had been challenged through the courts by Nelson Chamisa of MDC Alliance.
But writing on Twitter Saturday, after the High Court ruling, Charamba warned there was going to be a good fight for the return of the unpopular judge.
“Enjoy while it lasts!!!!!!! We are fighters, trust us!!!!!” Charamba wrote under his Twitter pseudonym, Jamwanda.
MDC Alliance deputy chairperson Job Sikhala however queried the import of a government “fighting the rule of law and constitutionalism”.
“Shame on you Mukoma George. Fighting the rule of law and constitutionalism? Munonyadzisa mukoma (you are a disgrace my brother),” Sikhala wrote under the thread of comments.
Charamba fired back, warning Sikhala that the opposition was going to bury faces in the sand when the appeal process begins which will leave Mnangagwa’s men with the last laugh.
“You know what’s coming; educate your followers on motions of the law!!!! Ecstasy shall prove longer than your joy!!!!!”, Charamba said.
