High Court judgments ‘useless’ MP

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MPOPOMA Pelandaba Zanu PF MP, Joseph Tshuma has allegedly scoffed at Bulawayo High Court judgment granted in favour of four Apostolic Faith Mission of Africa reverends, describing the court rulings as “useless judgments.”

MPOPOMA Pelandaba Zanu PF MP, Joseph Tshuma has allegedly scoffed at Bulawayo High Court judgment granted in favour of four Apostolic Faith Mission of Africa reverends, describing the court rulings as “useless judgments.”

BY CHARLES LAITON

He said the country was not run by the courts, but by Zanu PF, according to court papers.

Tshuma’s alleged demeaning of the country’s judiciary is contained in an urgent chamber application filed at the Supreme Court by AFM reverends, Clement Nyathi, Joseph Matongo, Abel Mephulangogaja and Phibion Manyowa, who are seeking to evict the MP’s father, Tony Tshuma from the church’s premises where he has been camping since last Saturday.

However, the tense situation prevailing at the church’s premises is said to have been compounded by alleged refusal of Bulawayo Province officer commanding (crime), Assistant Commissioner Lorraine Chipato, to intervene and bring sanity. She allegedly claimed police will only be involved if blood was spilled.

The MP’s father is alleged to have invaded the church together with one Elliot Ncube, last Saturday, with the blessing of the legislator, despite the existence of a High Court order barring them from interfering with the church’s operations.

As if that was not enough, the MP is also accused of having seized and disappeared with the church’s buses and a lorry loaded with church property.

“On August 16, 2015, the first and second respondents (Tony Tshuma, Elliot Ncube) and their agents led by the third respondent (Joseph Tshuma) took the Hino Truck that was parked at the church premises and two buses to an unknown destination. The truck was loaded with church furniture,” said the church’s overseer, president and the chairman of the board of trustees, Reverend Nyathi.

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In his affidavit, Nyathi further said the situation at the church had been worsened by reports the MP’s father was related to Assistant Commissioner Chipato.

“On August 15, 2015, at night, the said Joseph Tshuma (MP) who is the third respondent herein, addressed the first and second respondents and their agents telling them to stay put into the building and to deal violently with any of the applicant’s members who dare come into the building and to forget what he calls “the useless judgments” that were granted in favour of the applicants by the High Court as this country is not ruled by the court but by Zanu PF,” Nyathi said.

“The fourth and fifth respondents (Officer Commanding Bulawayo West District and Officer-In-Charge Njube Police Station) attempted to intervene to restore law and order but they were threatened and told by the third respondent (MP) to go away lest they will be treated as traitors by the government.”

Nyathi added: “We later discovered that first respondent is related to Assistant Commissioner Chipato and that the 3rd respondent told first and second respondents and their agents that the police are Zanu PF and Assistant Commissioner Chipato is his relative and he had already told her about the events and they had the blessing of the police.”

In her affidavit supporting the urgency of the matter, the applicant’s lawyer, Petronela Musina, said the police had refused to make arrests even where they conceded Tshuma, Ncube and their agents had committed offences.

“The third respondent is abusing his powers as the MP to abuse the name of the President of the Republic and that of Zanu PF as a political party in order to undermine our constitutional democracy,” Musina said.

“The respondents are being misled by purported appeals before this honourable court, which were erroneously filed before this court and the first and second respondents lawyers have decided to mislead their clients and initiate violence.

“The situation is very tense at the church headquarters and anything could explode as the applicant’s (Apostolic Faith Mission of Africa) members are likely to be uncontrollable soon especially faced with such provocation of this magnitude.”

The officer commanding Matabeleland Province and Commissioner-General of Police, Augustine Chihuri are also cited as respondents in the matter which is yet to be set down for hearing.