High Court Judge Accused of Bribery Ahead of Opposition Court Hearing

Harare judge accused of taking bribe on day of Kasukuwere case.

HARARE, ZIMBABWE - A Harare High Court judge is facing allegations of accepting a bribe from the state on the same day he was scheduled to hear a case involving a Zanu PF activist seeking to bar opposition member Saviour Kasukuwere from contesting the presidential elections on August 23, writes Staff Reporter.

Kasukuwere has filed an application before the High Court, arguing that Justice David Mangota's ruling to bar him from contesting is compromised due to the judge receiving a house just hours before the court hearing.

In his affidavit, Kasukuwere states, "I am advised that at law, a judgement given by a biassed judicial officer must be treated as pro non scripto (as not written), and the same cannot be appealed against but rescinded at law as the same does not appear in the record."

Earlier, Justice Mangota had granted an order, requested by Zanu PF activist Lovedale Mangwana, stating that Kasukuwere had been out of the country for 12 months, making him ineligible to vote and run for public office.

Kasukuwere, however, has already appealed the judgement at the Supreme Court, with the hearing scheduled for July 27.

In the meantime, Mangwana had also requested that Kasukuwere's name be removed from the ballot paper, but the case has been dismissed.

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