“All pending criminal cases on remand shall be automatically rolled over for a period of at least 21 calendar days, beginning today, while criminal trials and civil cases have been deferred for the duration of the national lockdown to combat the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic”
The country is in a 21-day lockdown as the number of confirmed Covid-19 cases spiked to seven, with one confirmed death. The lockdown was the principal measure announced by President Mnangagwa in an address to the nation on Friday.
According to the practice direction on courts operations issued , Chief Justice Luke Malaba said the new development was in line with the President’s most recent directives and guidelines on the Covid-19 induced pandemic national lockdown.
“This will see all the superior courts, namely Constitutional Court, the Supreme Court, the High Court, the Labour Court, the Administrative Court, going into recess earlier, for the first quarter break”
Day 2 of 21 contradicted the lockdown rules by Mnangagwa as Supreme Court passed judgement at 3pm in the afternoon and ruled that Nelson Chamisa is not the legitimate MDC leader .
In his ruling Justice Luke Malaba reinstated MDC ( then MDC-T ) 2014 structures, a move that was trashed by most MDC cadres. This is confirmed by what the MDC leaders wrote on various social media platforms.
The MDC youth assembly led by Tererai Obey Sithole had no kind words and maintained that the stance that the courts had taken was not right. He said the courts had no power to determine how the MDC is run adding that the party’s youth wing will go an extra miles to defend Nelson Chamisa and party.
“They have declared war and Zanu Pf is in fear and panic because they know Nelson Chamisa is the people’s choice in the party and in the country. Their efforts to destabilise the people’s movement will be resisted “
On further unlocking the lockdown journalist together with supporters of the Thokozani Khupe led MDC were addressed with no protective clothing to combat corona virus by Morgen Komichi who has been given Chairman powers by the courts and seemed happy to do so.
Day 1 of 21 in the Zimbabwe lockdown police maintained checkpoints and routes leading to CBD.
Today we witnessed a heavy presence only at the supreme court as well as the MDC Morgan Tsvangirai House. There was a barricade effected by anti riot police and tanks at the entrance of the party headquarters.
Earlier Thokozani Khupe on day 2 of the 21 day lockdown took to twitter with an account she had not used in years and she was celebrating a judgement before it was done according to an anonymous MDC source.
A press conference was later held after the judgement in which party Vice President Tendai Biti told journalist that they already had a congress and that the outcome of the congress was final.