Chadema, Zitto still engaged in legal battle

Mr Zitto, the Kigoma North MP 

By The Citizen Reporters

In Summary

• The politician had risen to the position of deputy secretary-general, from which he was axed in addition to all  the others he had held last November, over allegations of betrayal alongside two  other senior officials.

Dar es Salaam. Chadema legislator  Zitto Kabwe  was yesterday  waging a court battle  to stop  the leading opposition  party from taking further action against him.

The politician had risen to the position of deputy secretary-general, from which he was axed in addition to all  the others he had held last November, over allegations of betrayal alongside two  other senior officials.

But Mr Zitto, the Kigoma North MP,  has steadfastly  refuted claims that he was planning to topple the leadership,  attributing  conflicts within  the party  to those who resisted changes.

He has since contested the decision,  appealing to the party’s top organ against the decision of the Central Committee.

On Thursday, Mr Kabwe,  through his lawyer Albert Msando,  filed a case at the High court with a certification of urgency to stop the party’s CC from discussing his fate. He wanted the High Court to bar the organ to that end, which is scheduled to start  sitting in Dar es Salaam  today from discussing him.

He  is pleading that the CC should await  the outcome of  his appeal against the decision to strip him of his positions. Chadema said it was only temporarily barred to rule on Mr Zitto’s party membership.

The case continued yesterday with Mr Zitto’s lawyer and those representing the party, Peter Kibatala and Tundu Lissu,  embroiled in a legal battle, compelling  Justice John Utamwa to postpone the case to Monday when he will pronounce a verdict. 

The party however, continued with its meeting in the city, discussing among other agendas, the fate of other two party leaders, the former Arusha Chairman Samson Mwigamba,  and CC  member Kitila Mkumbo.

The party’s director of information and Ubungo Member of Parliament, John Mnyika said contrary to what had been reported, the High Court on Thursday had only stopped them to touch on his party membership.

“Discussing the fate of the three is still one of our agendas, the two didn’t go to court so we don’t have any setbacks on them…with Zitto we will discuss about him and in the meantime we will not touch on his membership as our lawyers are in the High Court battling the order and anything might happen,” he said. The CC also is set to discuss  the on-going Katiba process and the formation of the constituent  assembly.