Messenger of Court Attempts to Attach Tsvangirai, MDC-T Property
“He said they wanted to attach the property in favour of former party employees who had taken the party to court in a labour issue.”
WASHINGTON DC — A messenger of court Tuesday attempted to attach property belonging to Movement for Democratic Change founding president Morgan Tsvangirai and his party following a labour dispute in which former workers are demanding payment of outstanding salaries and terminal benefits. The messenger of court, who was accompanied by heavily armed police details travelling in two trucks, went to Tsvangirai’s Highlands mansion and the MDC-T’s Harvest House headquarters with the intention of attaching the property of the former prime minister and the opposition party. MDC-T attorney and party secretary general, Douglas Mwonzora, claims that the incident was well-choreographed to embarrass Tsvangirai as the opposition party had obtained a permanent stay of execution in the matter. Mwonzora says the MDC-T would file for contempt of court following what he called a public drama today by the messenger of court and other arms of the government. He also alleged that lawyers, Consultancy Bureau Services, representing former party director of elections, Toendepi Shonhe and 16 others, are bogus. Wilson Manase, an attorney who represented Shonhe and colleagues when the case was heard in the labour court, said he could not comment on the matter noting that he was no longer representing them. Efforts to get a comment from Consultancy Bureau Services were fruitless as they were not answering their phones. Shonhe and several other workers left the MDC-T at the height of factional fighting in the party which led to the formation of a breakaway group led by former secretary, Tendai Biti. They were dismissed for allegedly failing to report for duty at Harvest House. In another court-related matter, a Harare magistrate today denied bail to leaders of the National Vendors Union of Zimbabwe, Samuel Wadzai and Stan Zvorwadza, who are facing public violence charges. Magistrate Tendai Mahwe ruled that Wadzai, Zvorwadza and 14 other vendors who were arrested by council police during a crackdown on illegal street traders were likely to disturb peace if they were released on bail arguing that the crackdown on vendors was still going on. Zvorwadza, Wadzai and others are denying the charges saying they were arrested by council police when they were demanding that authorities release wares of the vendors that had been confiscated by Harare municipal police last week. The case is expected to continue on August 4.