CHAMISA TO BE HIT WITH $3M LEGAL BILL

MDC leader Nelson Chamisa is likely to be hit with a $3 million legal bill after he lost his Constitutional case. Zanu-PF Secretary for Le...

MDC leader Nelson Chamisa is likely to be hit with a $3 million legal bill after he lost his Constitutional case.

Zanu-PF Secretary for Legal Affairs, Paul Mangwana has told The Sunday Mail that the ruling party’s lawyers were quantifying the exact amount due to them, but they had indicated an approximate bill of $3 million.

That figure excludes what the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission’s legal bill. “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,” he said.

Cde Mangwana said the final bill required approval of the Registrar of the Court.
“The amount has to be in line with the prescribed rates which lawyers charge. Such rates are approved by the Registrar of Courts who also has to grant the approval. The amount will also undergo the necessary taxation processes,” he said.

Cde Mangwana said in the event Mr Chamisa failed to pay, the opposition leader risked losing his personal property.

“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,” he said.