HARARE - Zimbabwe’s High Court on Wednesday
declared Nelson Chamisa an illegitimate leader of the main
opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) party and ordered the movement to convene an
extraordinary congress to choose a new leader after a month.
The MDC immediately said it
would appeal against the ruling and that it would press on with a
planned leadership congress this month where it is expected to
elect Chamisa as a permanent successor to founding leader Morgan
Tsvangirai, who died in February 2018.
Chamisa, 41, rose to become the MDC interim leader last year
amid opposition from internal rivals, which split the party into
two factions. He lost a presidential election to the ruling
ZANU-PF's Emmerson Mnangagwa, but says that poll was rigged.
High Court Judge Edith Mushore ruled that the process that
took Chamisa to the helm of the MDC was unconstitutional and
therefore null and void. The ruling followed a legal challenge
from a party member to Chamisa’s leadership.
But the MDC said the ruling was part of a wider plot by
Mnangagwa’s ruling party to destabilise the main opposition.
"We fundamentally disagree with the judgement. We reiterate
that Emmerson Mnangagwa is illegitimate and no amount of
diversionary tactics will change this fact," MDC spokesman
Jacob Mafume told reporters.
Chamisa has already been nominated for the presidency of the
MDC by all the party’s provincial assemblies and will be
endorsed during a congress from May 24-26 in Gweru town, central
Zimbabwe.
In February this year, Chamisa and his MDC snubbed talks
with Mnangagwa meant to try to resolve a political and economic
crisis, saying any dialogue with the president must be brokered
by an independent outside mediator.