By Farai D Hove| ZANU PF leader Emmerson Mnangagwa is preparing to slap MDC Alliance leader, Nelson Chamisa with a $3 million legal bill after losing the election petition announced Friday.

This was revealed by the party’s Secretary for Legal Affairs Paul Mangwana.

This also follows clear threats by Mnangagwa as the latter declared that Chamisa will face consequences of either winning or losing the case.

Mangwana while saying the ruling party’s lawyers were quantifying the exact amount due to them, indicated an approximate bill of $3 million.

That figure excludes the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission’s legal bill.

“Lawyers charge according to the number of hours they spend on a case. You will appreciate that a humongous amount of hours were spent on this case because of its high profile nature and also because of the need to ensure that everything was on point,” he told the state media.

Mangwana said the final bill required approval of the Registrar of the Court.

“The amount has to be in line with the prescribed rates which lawyers charge. Such rates are approved by the Registrar of Courts who also has to grant the approval. The amount will also undergo the necessary taxation processes,” he said.

Mangwana said in the event Mr Chamisa failed to pay, the opposition leader risked losing his personal property.

“What the ruling means is that Zanu-PF doesn’t have to pay, it is Chamisa who has to pay our lawyers. The law says if he doesn’t pay we will have to attach his personal property.

‘‘This law is made to guard against people who approach the courts with cases that are not of any substance,” he said.