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Political Agreement and nothing will stop him from attending meetings related to that status.
He said a recent Bulawayo High Court interdict sought by Professor Welshman Ncube’s MDC did not prevent him from attending GPA meetings and being DPM.
However, DPM Mutambara’s lawyers – Mbidzo Muchadehama and Makoni – yesterday challenged the interdict.
The interim order interdicted DPM Mutambara from exercising any powers vested in the office of the MDC president. The interdict read, “Pending determination of this matter, applicant is granted the following relief:
“The respondent (DPM Mutambara) is interdicted from purporting to be the President of the Movement for Democratic Change.
“(He) is interdicted from exercising any function vested in the President of the Movement for Democratic Change.
“The respondent is interdicted from, in any way, interfering with structures and organs of the party.”
DPM Mutambara, who contends he is still the party president, attended a GPA meeting in Harare yesterday.
According to his opposing affidavit in the High Court, the DPM said the courts should respect the doctrine of separation of powers.
“I note that second applicant (MDC secretary-general Mrs Priscilla Misihairabwi-Mushonga) accepts that I am the Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Zimbabwe.
“This has implications for the courts in that they are required to respect the doctrine of separation of powers.
“The DPM is a senior position in the executive arm of the Government. An application where the purpose is to interfere with my work as the DPM will involve the courts in the determination of intricate and complicated matters of the executive arm of Government.
“The court must be very slow in getting involved in such matters,” he said.
The DPM said the Welshman Ncube-led faction had unsuccessfully attempted to convince President Mugabe with the same proposals that are now before the courts.
“I am aware that the group represented by the second respondent has had a meeting with His Excellency, the President of Zimbabwe, where they raised the same issues that are the subject matter of this application.
“The outcome of that meeting has been widely reported, with members of the group freely confirming the reports.
“The Head of State is reported to have said to the group’s representative, ‘You can tell your national council that mina (me) as Robert Mugabe, angifuni (I do not want),’ indicating a total rejection of the proposals, which are part of this application.
“It is immediately after this response that they approached this Honourable Court.”
DPM Mutambara said the group also approached South Africa’s President Jacob Zuma with the same issues and proposals now before the High Court.
He said their court application was not urgent and the applicant used the wrong procedure in seeking redress.
DPM Mutambara also queried why the matter was taken to the Bulawayo High Court.
“I am not clear what seized the applicants to suddenly file the application in Bulawayo relating to a matter which is pending in Harare.
“I hate to think that the applicants were forum shopping. I hope they were not,” he said.
DPM Mutambara associated himself with the argument advanced by some 13 party members who challenged the MDC congress that saw the election of the executive led by Prof Ncube.
He said he was disputing the validity of the gathering that took place between January 8 and 9 this year in Harare.
The national chairman, he said, did not attend the said meeting and the organising secretary presided over it, thereby nullifying the whole process.