SOUTH Africa-based Zimbabwean businessman Mutumwa Mawere has given Registrar-General Tobaiwa Mudede 24 hours to reinstate his Zimbabwean citizenship or face litigation.
REPORT BY CHIEF REPORTER
Mawere lost his citizenship after he acquired South African citizenship in 2002.
The new Constitution signed into law by President Robert Mugabe early this month provides for dual citizenship by descent.
In a letter to Mudede on Wednesday, Mawere said he would take legal action should the Registrar-General fail to respond to his three previous letters dated May 17, 20 and 22 where he demanded reinstatement of his Zimbabwean citizenship.
Through his lawyers Nyakatombwa Legal Counsel, Mawere said: “Further to our client’s visit to your offices on 17th May and follow up letters of 20th and 22th May, attached hereto our client is yet to receive a response from you and in any event, according to law.
“We are instructed to demand, as we hereby do, an official response to the issue raised by our client before you in person and his letters. Please let us have your response on, or before close of business on Friday, 31 may 2013 failing which we shall be compelled to proceed against your office in the High Court of Zimbabwe for urgent relief pursuant to Section 3 of the Administrative Justice Act.”
Mawere said the decision to deny him Zimbabwean citizenship would disenfranchise him as he intended to participate in the forthcoming polls. Mawere has been linked to the United Movement for Democracy Party (UMDP) which was launched recently although he has dissociated himself from the movement.
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The letter was also copied to Home Affairs co-ministers Kembo Mohadi and Theresa Makone, Constitutional Affairs minister Eric Matinenga and Justice minister Patrick Chinamasa.
Mawere claimed he had followed all the necessary procedures to obtain his identity card, but was being frustrated by Mudede, accusing him of being an interested party in the matter.
Although Mudede could not be reached for comment yesterday, he is on record accusing Mawere of failing to follow laid down legal procedures to have his documents changed.
