Umthethwandaba weHigh Court ngoMgqibelo unqume ukuthi ukwengezwa kwesikhathi sokusebenza kukaMnu Luke Malaba njengomahluli omkhulu, uChief Justice, nguMongameli Emmerson Mnangagwa kwephula umthetho.
Linkantolo ithi uMalaba ucine ukuba ngumahluli phakathi kwamabili ebusuku izolo lapho afikise khona iminyaka yokuya kumpentsheni engamatshumi ayisikhombisa, 70 years njengalokhu obekutshiwo yisisekelo sombuso singakatshintshwa.
Ugatsha lweJudicial Service Commission (JSC) luhle lwazisa ukuthi uJustice Elizabeth Gwaunza nguye osephethe isikhundla sikaMalaba okwamanje (Acting Chief Justice).
Udaba lolu luhluzwe ngabahluleli beHigh Court abathathu uJustice Happias Zhou, uEdith Mushore loJustice Henera Charehwa ngemva kokuba amagqwetha enhlanganiso yeYoung Lawyers Association of Zimbabwe laweHuman Rights NGO Forum ephikise ukuqheliswa kwekontilaha ngeminyaka emihlanu.
UMnangagwa wenze lokhu ngemva kokuguqula isisekelo sombuso ebesesimupha amandla okwengeza isikhathi sokusebenza kwabahuleli beSupreme Court labeConstitutional Court nxa sebefikise isikhathi sempetsheni.
Esethula isinqumo lesi, uJustice Zhou uthe umthetho awuvumi ukuthi uMalaba labanye abahluleli benkantolo zombili baqheliselwe iminyaka yokusebenza ngoba bebesezikhundleni ngesikhathi isisekelo sombuso siguqulwa.
Ngokunjalo, uZhou uthe uMalaba usekumpentsheni kusukela nje ebusuku izolo.
Isinqumo lesi sithakazelelwe ngabantu abanengi abagoqela igqwetha uMnu Matshobana Ncube. Kodwa uNcube utshele iStudio 7 ukuthi abantu kumele bajabule bekwazi kuthi uMalaba engabuyela esikhundleni nxa uhulumende ethe waphikisa.
Umsekeli webandla leMDC Alliance uMnu Tendai Biti, ongumunye wamagqwetha aphatheke kudaba lolu, uthe bayathokoza kakhulu. Amazwi kaBiti agcizelelwe lilunga lebandla lakhe uMnu Edwin Ndlovu.
Lanxa ilunga leZanu PF njalo eligqwetha uMnu Paul Mangwana, yena obesenkantolo eyalile ukukhuluma ngaloludaba, ilunga lalelibandla uMnu Believe Gaule utshele iStudio 7 phambilini kwesinqumo lesi ukuthi uMnangagwa kumele aphiwe amandla okukhetha umahluli omkhulu njengokufuna kwakhe.
Ingcwethi kwezombusazwe uMnu Zenzele Ndebele utshele lumsakazo ukuthi isinqumo lesi singaba sikhomba ukudonselana okungaba sokukhona phakathi kukaMnangagwa lomsekeli wakhe uMnu Constantino Chiwenga.