A
fierce
battle
of
lawyers
is
looming
between
Nqobani
Sithole,
Method
Ndlovu
and
Zibusiso
Ncube
over
the
controversial
Matabeleland
pressure
group
Ibhetshu
LikaZulu
and
one
of
its
leaders
Mbuso
Fuzwayo’s
Constitutional
Court
bid
to
block
President
Emmerson
Mnangagwa’s
term
extension
after
Ndlovu
quit
the
case
in
a
huff
yesterday,
citing
a
breaking
of
trust,
non-payment
of
his
legal
fees
and
reputational
risk,
it
has
emerged.
Informed
sources
told
The
NewsHawks
last
night
that
said
there
were
simmering
volatile
tensions
behind
the
scenes
between
Sithole
(left)
and
Ndlovu
(right-up)
after
a
fallout
over
the
case,
which
has
far-reaching
legal
and
political
implications
for
Zimbabwe.
Ncube
has
been
entangled
in
the
case
through
association
and
his
attendant
liaison
role.
The
sources
said
all
hell
broke
loose
yesterday
after
Sithole
had
moved
to
remove
Ndlovu
from
the
case
following
recent
controversies
with
former
minister
Jonathan
Moyo,
whom
the
latter
claims
is
the
“principal
architect
of
the
litigation”.
Sithole
is
said
to
have
contacted
Ndlovu
yesterday
to
tell
him
that
he
was
being
removed
from
case,
promoting
the
latter
to
quickly
write
a
letter
withdrawing
from
the
matter
to
pre-empt
the
former
and
coming
developments.
The
letter
was
said
to
have
been
leaked
to
the
media,
including
to
The
NewsHawks,
and
this
is
said
to
have
infuriated
Sithole
who
now
privately
accuse
Ndlovu
of
being
unprofessional
and
playing
dirty.
As
a
result,
the
case
is
likely
to
end
up
being
reported
to
the
Lawyer
Society
of
Zimbabwe,
raising
the
stakes
and
risking
careers,
sources
say.
This
ominous
development
has
career-ending
implications
for
some
of
the
lawyers
involved.
Ndlovu
was
initially
hired
as
the
lead
counsel
for
Fuzwayo
and
Ibhetshu’s
Constitutional
Court
case,
which
challenges
Mnangagwa’s
term
extension
to
2030.
The
case
was
prompted
by
Zanu
PF’s
2025
annual
conference
resolution
in
Mutare
in
October
instructing
the
party
to
amend
the
constitution
to
allow
Mnangagwa
to
extend
his
tenure
to
2030.
The
Mutare
resolution
reasserted
the
Bulawayo
decision
on
the
issue.
Mnangagwa’s
constitutional
two
terms
in
end
in
2028.
Fuzwayo
and
Ibhetshu
rushed
to
court
to
challenge
the
resolution.
However,
controversy
followed
as
claims
emerged
the
case
was
a
collusive
legal
action
to
help
Mnangagwa’s
plan
through
judicial
manipulation.
Claims
of
a
contrived
case
have
compounded
the
situation
now
increasingly
becoming
a
political
and
legal
imbroglio.
Subsequent
to
the
Zanu
PF
conference
and
the
Fuzwayo
case,
a
raft
of
constitutional
amendments
have
been
made
to
extend
Mnangagwa’s
term
and
change
the
political,
electoral
and
governance
systems.
Sithole
of
Sithole
Chambers
is
the
instructing
lawyer.
So
Ndlovu
was
instructed
by
Sithole
to
represent
Fuzwayo
and
Ibhetshu.
But
Ndlovu
has
now
withdrawn
as
counsel
for
Fuzwayo
and
Ibhetshu,
citing
a
breakdown
in
trust,
lack
of
payment
and
reputational
risk.
In
a
formal
letter
to
Sithole
yesterday,
Ndlovu
cited
collapse
in
mutual
expectations
between
himself
and
the
clients,
lack
of
payment
for
his
legal
services
in
the
matter,
and
reputational
damage
due
“unfounded
allegations”
by
Moyo
as
reasons
for
his
withdrawal.
This
referred
to
Moyo’s
recent
explanation
of
a
leaked
audio
in
which
he
was
allegedly
speaking
to
Zanu
PF
leaders
on
how
to
manage
the
court
case.
However,
Moyo
said
he
was
not
speaking
to
any
Zanu
PF
officials
in
the
conversation
but
to
Ncube
and
Ndlovu.
He
produced
WhatsApp
messages
as
evidence.
But
Ndlovu
has
given
a
different
version
of
events,
creating
a
potentially
long-running
saga.
His
withdrawal
has
left
the
high-profile
constitutional
application
in
a
state
of
paralysis
and
uncertainty
as
applicants
now
lack
legal
representation.
It
has
also
left
Sithole,
himself
and
by
extension
Ncube
explosively
at
loggerheads
in
a
clash
of
lawyers
likely
to
open
a
Pandora’s
Box
on
the
case
and
concomitant
legal
and
political
issues
involved.
Post
published
in:
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