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Squashing the judges

The courts, despite everything, persist in doing justice sometimes and the President is not amused

The acquittal of Roy Bennett, Deputy Minister-designate of Agriculture and Treasurer of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), on 10 May gave President Robert Mugabe the chance to show his commitment to power-sharing. He could have accepted the court’s verdict, with its implication that Bennett was fit for a ministerial appointment, and sworn him in, especially since deputy ministers are more decorative than effective, seldom acting even in the real minister’s absence. That would have resolved a huge political problem without any loss of face....

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Squashing the judges

The courts, despite everything, persist in doing justice sometimes and the President is not amused

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