MDC-T wins battle over name

Politics
MDC-T won the battle over the rights to its name against a former journalist at The Worker, David Muzhuzha, who was suing the party for more than $400 000

THE MDC-T has won the battle over the rights to its name against a former journalist at The Worker, David Muzhuzha, who was suing the party for more than $400 000 claiming he coined the name Movement for Democratic Change at its inception in 1999.

SENIOR COURT REPORTER

In a statement, MDC-T said High Court judge Justice Joseph Mafusire on Wednesday dismissed with costs the application filed by Muzhuzha.

Muzhuzha was suing the MDC, party spokesperson Douglas Mwonzora and director-general Toendepi Shonhe for defamation and injuria.

MDC-T said its lawyers applied for absolution from the instance at the end of Muzhuzha’s cross examination. Absolution from the instance is applied for when the defence feels the plaintiff has failed to make out a prima facie case and wants the judge to rule that the court cannot make a finding.

“This absolved the MDC and saved it from calling witnesses to defend the case. Lawyers for the MDC said the plaintiff had failed to lead evidence that the MDC, Mwonzora and Shonhe published any statements that referred to him in any article published,” the statement read.

The party maintained that the name, Movement for Democratic Change, was suggested in February 1999 at a national working people’s forum held at the women’s bureau.

“It is clear that Muzhuzha was employed by the enemies of the MDC to saddle the party with huge legal costs. The case exposed Muzhuzha’s greed and opportunistic tendencies, but fortunately, justice has prevailed and this shows that nobody can stop the people’s project.”

Muzhuzha filed his application in October this year accusing the MDC-T of defaming and injuring his reputation by honouring former journalist Grace Kwinjeh as having coined the party’s name.

He claimed the MDC-T defamed him by labelling him a liar by honouring Kwinjeh.