By Farai D Hove| As Zimbabweans protested a typing error on MDC Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa’s court application yesterday, allegations were rife amid a wild claim that there was an act of sabotage by one of his key lawyers.

This was largely due to a typing error on the court application’s front page whereon one of the chief Respondents Emmerson Mnangagwa’s surname was typed as “Mnangwagwa.” SEE PICTURES:

Chamisa is challenging the election results announced by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission Chairperson, Priscilla Chigumba who announced Emmerson Mnangagwa as the winner of the Presidential polls on Thursday the 2nd August 2018.

According to ZEC, Zanu PF’s Emmerson Mnangagwa won the election with 50.8 percent against Nelson Chamisa’s 44.3 percent’

Zanu PF has also won about two-majority in Parliament.

One woman telephoned ZimEye yesterday and began screaming that one of Chamisa’s lawyers is related to Mnangagwa. Even after several questions, she was adamant that the well known male legal expert, is a saboteur. She cited several engagements he has secretly allegedly had with Mnagagwa, although she could not provide proven evidence in the form of videos, pictures or documents. Several questions were fired at her; But even after 20 minutes of talking, she was obstinate while saying the man is a Mnangagwa aide.

All this came as some seasoned legal experts told the community advocacy OpenParly NGO they are of the view that the election petition to the Constitutional Court is nothing short of chasing a dead end by the party.

Advocate Mandevere Marufu of Kadzere, Hungwe and Mandevere legal practitioner said the MDC Alliance is likely to fail at ConCourt because the courts are not willing to handle highly sensitive political issues dating to 2002.

“To tell you the truth courts don’t want to deal with election petitions on the merits and in the case that they are merits to their (MDC Alliance) case the courts will always try to find something to run away from hearing the case.

“Remember the 2002 election petition filed by the late Morgan Tsvangirai after the political clashes. The ruling for that challenge is still pending up to now with no closure brought to it,”, he said.

Marufu added that local courts were not comfortable dealing with such political matters in Zimbabwe and this latest challenge provided another stern test to that resolve.

Speaking on the same issue another lawyer, Advocate Kennedy Masiye added that executive interference was the biggest danger to the MDC Alliance challenge making winning a mission impossible episode.

Masiye said the President Emmerson Mnangagwa has already revealed his penchant for getting involved in judicial matters.

“The President of Zimbabwe knows no boundaries in his quest to hold on to power.

“Not only has he put into jeopardy “independent” institutions like the Judiciary Services Commission (JSC) but he has openly told the world that he can interfere with judicial outcomes without consequences.

“It is now open to the world that no matter how good the MDC Court challenge of the 2018 disputed Presidential elections he will simply intervene…Judicial independence is under threat in Zimbabwe!’, he added.

Renowned Constitutional law expert Dr Lovemore Madhuku has also gone on record dismissing the MDC court challenge as a poor political act that will not yield anything.

Madhuku whose party the National Constitutional Assembly (NCA) contested the harmonised election has said the Alliance lost fair and square.