COPAC’S Second All-Stakeholders’ Conference survived another scare yesterday after the High Court dismissed another last-minute attempt by Zanu PF delegate Danny Musukuma to block it. Report by Everson Mushava Chief Reporter
Musukuma, who is registered as delegate number 401 on the Zanu PF delegates list shown to NewsDay yesterday, approached the High Court on Saturday claiming Copac had acted in contempt of court after it failed to furnish him with a hard copy of the national statistical report he had requested for earlier on.
This was after High Court judge Justice Ben Hlatshwayo on Thursday ordered Copac to publish the report on its website and advise people to visit the website through the local media. Musukuma had dragged Copac to court demanding that the conference, which starts today, be moved to a later date to allow people to study the report. He said the Copac negotiators could not just introduce the report at the conference before publicising it ahead of the constitutional indaba. However, High Court judge Justice Mary Zimba-Dube yesterday dismissed Musukuma’s second attempt saying the court was convinced Copac complied with the court order by inviting people to visit its website.
“The applicant (Masukuma) wanted the conference to be postponed by seven days. The conference will proceed as agreed to in the consent order of October 18,” said Justice Zimba-Dube in a verdict delivered yesterday morning.
Advocate Rambai Chingwena represented Copac. In his application, Musukuma had cited Copac, Justice minister Patrick Chinamasa, MDC-T negotiators Elton Mangoma and Tendai Biti, MDC leader Welshman Ncube and party secretary-general Priscilla Misihairabwi-Mushonga, Copac co-chairpersons Munyaradzi Paul Mangwana (Zanu PF) and Douglas Mwonzora (MDC-T) as respondents. Mwonzora yesterday confirmed Musukuma was a Zanu PF delegate.
“He (Musukuma) is a Zanu PF delegate at the conference. He possibly belongs to a certain faction within Zanu PF that is opposed to the constitution-making process,” Mwonzora said.
The report will form part of the documents to be used during the conference after Zanu PF insisted that it contained the accurate reflection of people’s views captured during the outreach programme in 2010.
