Deal on polls reached

President Robert Mugabe yesterday won a month-long court reprieve after his application for extension of the deadline to set dates for by-elections for three vacant House of Assembly seats in Matabeleland was extended by consent to October 1.

The matter, which was set for hearing in Judge President George Chiweshe’s chambers late in the afternoon, did not proceed after lawyers representing both parties reached a consensus.

Justice Chiweshe granted the consent order in which Mugabe was represented by the chief law officer in the Attorney-General’s Office, Fortunate Chimbaru, while the respondents, namely Abednico Bhebhe (Nkayi South), Njabuliso Mguni (Lupane East) and Norman Mpofu (Bulilima East ) – all former MPs from the Welshman Ncube-led MDC – were represented by Beatrice Mtetwa.

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