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NewsDay

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End of the road for Mutasa, Mliswa

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FORMER Hurungwe West MP Temba Mliswa yesterday said the electorate was the final arbiter in the political question on who should represent them in Parliament after his Constitutional Court (ConCourt) application challenging his recent dismissal from the august House was dismissed with costs.

FORMER Hurungwe West MP Temba Mliswa yesterday said the electorate was the final arbiter in the political question on who should represent them in Parliament after his Constitutional Court (ConCourt) application challenging his recent dismissal from the august House was dismissed with costs.

BY COURT REPORTERS

Mliswa and his uncle former Headlands MP Didymus Mutasa had jointly filed the application claiming their expulsion from the National Assembly at the instigation of Zanu PF was unconstitutional.

The two former Zanu PF MPs were first fired from the ruling party before losing their parliamentary seats last month.

Chief Justice Godfrey Chidyausiku in an immediate judgment dismissed their petition, saying that the application was devoid of merit. “The court had considered the papers and submissions made by counsels and has come to the unanimous conclusion that the application is devoid of merit and is hereby dismissed,” Justice Chidyausiku said.

Speaking to NewsDay after the ConCourt ruling, Mliswa said: “When you are fighting in politics, it starts with the people and ends with the people. It is the people (electorate) who have the final say.”

Mliswa has already indicated that he wants to retain the seat and will contest the June 10 by-elections as an independent candidate, while Mutasa said he would enter the race as a Zanu PF candidate despite his expulsion from the party.

President Robert Mugabe has since proclaimed that by-elections for Hurungwe West and Headlands will be held on June 10 with the nomination court sitting on April 8 to register candidates eyeing the two constituencies. Mliswa added that he would make a decision about his political future after Easter holidays.

“The by-elections have since been proclaimed and I will think of my next move after the holidays,” he added. Lovemore Madhuku represented Mliswa and Mutasa, while respondents Mugabe, Speaker of Parliament Jacob Mudenda and the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission were represented by Terrence Hussein, Simplicio Chihambakwe and Tawanda Kanengoni respectively.