BY CHARLES LAITON
Norton MP Temba Mliswa (independent) has filed an appearance to defend notice of the $10 million defamation litigation filed at the High Court by Vice-President Kembo Mohadi.
Mohadi, through his lawyers, Mugiya and Macharaga Law Chambers, last week approached the court seeking an order to compel Mliswa to pay compensation for defamation after the Norton legislator labelled him as corrupt on micro-blogging site, Twitter.
On Tuesday this week, the Norton MP approached the court and indicated that he would be defending the lawsuit.
“Take notice that at 10:52am on February 12, 2019, the defendant (Mliswa) entered an appearance to defend this matter. The summons was served on the defendant on February 7, 2019. Further take notice that the defendant’s postal address and address for service is care of its undersigned legal practitioners, Messrs Kadzere, Hungwe and Mandevere …” part of the notice read.
In his declaration last Thursday, Mohadi said sometime last month, Mliswa posted a message on his @TembaMliswa Twitter handle, purportedly calling on President Emmerson Mnangagwa to deal with corrupt top government officials.
“It’s now time for you to move to the corrupt ministers in Cabinet, beginning with Vice-President Kembo Mohadi, judging from the evidence I will produce. It appears the level of corruption in the South is unprecedented,” part of the post read.
Mohadi said Mliswa’s message went viral on social media platforms and received widespread publicity in various newspapers, portraying him as a corrupt government official.
