Outspoken Norton MP Temba Mliswa, who is being accused of violating COVID-19 regulations, yesterday successfully applied for the release of his passport to enable him to travel to Portugal and South Africa.

The Norton legislator applied for the release of his passport last week, but the magistrate delivered the ruling yesterday.

Mliswa allegedly violated COVID-19 regulations when he convened a Press conference at his Borrowdale residence in Harare, which was attended by nearly 20 journalists.

The legislator denied the charge, saying he was an essential services provider allowed to do business during the COVID-19 lockdown.

He also unsuccessfully filed an application to have his matter heard at the Constitutional Court saying the arrest violated his rights.

Meanwhile, suspended director of health in the Health ministry, Portia Manangazira, who is being accused of employing more than 27 relatives, including her father, who is in his late 70s, as health workers in December last year also successfully applied for the release of her passport.

Manangazira appeared before magistrate Stanford Mambanje, who released the passport to enable her to go to Zambia on a business trip.

Meanwhile, embattled wife of Vice President Constantino Chiwenga had numerous attempts to get her passport back to enable her to seek medical attention outside the country, hitting a brickwall.

Is it a case of selective application of the law?

-Newsday