Lawyers split over MLF

Several prominent Bulawayo–based lawyers have broken away from the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) over the alleged refusal by the organisation to represent Mthwakazi Liberation Front (MLF) leaders who are facing treason charges.
The lawyers have now created their own NGO - Abammeli Human Rights Lawyers Network.

They also alleged ZLHR refused to represent MDC-T Pelandaba-Mpopoma MP Samuel Sandla Khumalo after he was allegedly found in possession of mbanje.

On Monday, the legal practitioners, who included Advocate Lucas Nkomo, Robert Ndlovu, Sindiso Mazibisa, Kucaca Phulu and Matshobana Ncube, metand resolved to form the new organisation.
At the meeting, it was resolved the lawyers immediately withdraw their membership from ZLHR.
Abammeli reportedly has 40 lawyers.

“Further to ZLHR’s refusal to represent members of Mthwakazi Liberation Front (MLF), they have also refused to provide any representation for Samuel Sandla Khumalo, the MDC-T legislator for Pelandaba-Mpopoma constituency,” Abammeli said in a statement released on Wednesday.

“As a result of this, a loose coalition of lawyers was assembled to represent these people and all other MLF activists.”

MLF leaders - John Gazi, Paul Siwela and Charles Thomas — are facing treason charges.

The organisation said human rights defenders from the Matabeleland region were not being adequately represented.

“They are not adequately represented by an organisation of lawyers that understands their issues and are often not taken serious,” said Abammeli.
The new organisation said judging from a discussion with ZHLR director Irene Petras, “it is clear that ZLHR is not representing members from MLF because it (ZLHR) believes that MLF is advocating for violence and hate speech through their pamphlets and for that reason does not fall within the definition of human rights defenders”.

However, Abammeli said they recognised the leaders of MLF as people who had been caught up in the crackdown on civic society organisations and human rights defenders by the government.

“It is saddening that those charged with the mandate to represent human rights defenders do so in a selective way. This is exemplified by the fact that in all their news alerts, ZLHR makes reference to one treason case like the State versus Munyaradzi Gwisai and others, despite the fact that they know fully well that the MLF people are being charged with treason as well,” said the organisation.

“In as much as some people may not subscribe to the views of MLF, they still deserve the best legal representation.”

ZLHR Southern Region project coordinator Lizwe Jamela on Wednesday declined to comment referring all questions to the organisation’s director Petras in Harare.

ZLHR spokesperson Kumbirai Mafunda also could not comment on the matter saying he was at a funeral wake and referred questions to Petras.

Repeated efforts to contact Petras were futile as her mobile phone went unanswered.