LOCAL Government minister Ignatius Chombo was on Tuesday left with egg on his face after Bulawayo High Court judge Justice Lawrence Kamocha interdicted him from conducting a disciplinary hearing for suspended Gwanda mayor Lionel De Necker. Report by Richard Muponde
Three weeks ago Chombo appointed a disciplinary committee to conduct a hearing for De Necker on charges of insubordination after he allegedly refused to implement a ministerial directive to appoint a Zanu PF sympathiser, Priscilla Nkala, as chamber secretary.
Chombo then accused De Necker of insubordination.
However, De Necker approached the High Court last Monday seeking an order stopping the hearing, which he described as illegal.
In his application, the MDC mayor cited Chombo an d the disciplinary committee chairman, K Renzwa, as respondents. Justice Kamocha in his ruling said Chombo’s team was “interdicted from convening a hearing of the applicant until the validity of the applicant’s suspension is determined by the honourable court in case number HC1814/12”.
De Necker has another pending matter before the Bulawayo High Court under case number 1814/12 in which he is challenging the legality of his suspension.
In the latest court application, the mayor said it would be improper for the hearing to go ahead when the court was still to decide on the legality of his suspension by Chombo.
Bulawayo lawyer Matshobane Ncube of PhuluNcube Legal Practitioners is representing DeNecker.
