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High Court Awards Ex-Information Minister US$5,000 Lawsuit Damages Against Zimbabwe's Vice President


Jonathan Moyo claimed in his lawsuit that Nkomo defamed him by claiming that he masterminded a coup to depose President Robert Mugabe and other members of the presidium when he allegedly teamed up with several Zanu PF chairmen and held a secret meeting in Dinyane, Tsholotsho in 2004

A High Court judge has awarded former Information Minister Jonathan Moyo US$5,000 in defamation charges against Vice President John Nkomo.

In his judgement, Justice Francis Bere ruled that the defamation was politically motivated instead of being criminally inclined as demanded by Moyo, now back in ZANU-PF as a central committee member.

In his lawsuit, Moyo said Nkomo defamed him by claiming that he had masterminded a coup to depose President Robert Mugabe and his team when he teamed up with several ZANU-PF chairmen and held a secret meeting in Dinyane, Tsholotsho in 2004.

The meeting, infamously known as the Tsholotsho declaration, led to the sacking of at least seven ZANU-PF chairmen for taking part in the so-called plot allegedly linked to party strongman Emmerson Mnangagwa.

Moyo initially filed a Z$2 billion lawsuit in 2005 against Nkomo and ZAPU leader Dumiso Dabengwa. He later dropped charges against Dabengwa for making what he called “false, wrongful, unlawful and highly defamatory” statements.

Freelance journalist Themba Sibanda said Nkomo’s lawyers have not yet appealed against the court ruling.

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