Zimbabwe’s former Finance Minister Ignatius Chombo, taken into custody by the military after it took power, has appeared in court in Harare.<\/p>\n
He faces corruption and abuse-of-power charges from his time in local government, his lawyer says.<\/p>\n
Mr Chombo is one of several leading figures detained when former President Robert Mugabe was placed under house arrest on 14 November.<\/p>\n
Separately, the high court has ruled that the military takeover was legal.<\/p>\n
“The actions of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces to stop the usurping of power by those close to former president Robert Mugabe are constitutional,” the\u00a0Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation\u00a0quotes the court as saying.<\/p>\n
The court also ruled “null and void” the sacking by Mr Mugabe of then Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa earlier this month.<\/p>\n
The military takeover was widely seen as a reaction to moves by Mr Mugabe to ensure his wife, Grace, succeeded him, and against the sacking of Mr Mnangagwa, who became president on Friday.<\/p>\n
The high court said its ruling would prevent non-elected individuals exercising powers only open to those who have been elected.<\/p>\n
But the ruling has raised concerns that the military is exercising undue influence over the judiciary.<\/p>\n
Dewa Mavhinga, Southern Africa Director of Human Rights Watch, warned of a “strange, captured judiciary”.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, former Finance Minister Chombo appeared in court attired in a blue suit and chatting to police guards as he faced charges stemming from his time as a local government minister more than 10 years ago.<\/p>\n
His lawyer, Lovemore Madhuku, said Mr Chombo had received hospital treatment for injuries sustained while in military detention.<\/p>\n
The court cases capped a tumultuous week in Zimbabwe, which saw Mr Mugabe resign on Tuesday in a letter read out to MPs who were about to start impeaching him.<\/p>\n
His resignation was greeted by widespread celebration on the streets of Harare and followed on Friday by the swearing-in as president of Mr Mnangagwa.<\/p>\n
At Harare’s 60,000-capacity National Sports Stadium, Mr Mnangagwa said Zimbabwe was now “ready and willing for a steady re-engagement with all the nations of the world”.<\/p>\n
–<\/p>\n
Source: BBC<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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