We Want $3 Million From Chamisa For Our Legal Fees: Zanu-PF

Zanu-PF’s secretary for legal affairs Paul Mangwana has revealed that the party is demanding $3 million from MDC Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa as legal fees. This comes after the Constitutional Court dismissed Chamisa’s election petition on Friday. The Constitutional Court also slapped Chamisa with the costs of the case. Speaking to state media, Mangwana said,

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. The amount has to be in line with the prescribed rates which lawyers charge…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.

The $3 million figure does not include the costs incurred by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec).