Battle for control of ZCTU rages on

yet another turn after the presiding judge, Justice Ben Hlatshwayo recused himself.
Justice Francis Bere is now hearing the matter.
The factions, one led by Mr Lovemore Matombo and the other by Mr George Nkiwane, are embroiled in a legal battle to assume the union’s leadership, as both camps are claiming to be legitimate leaders of ZCTU.
Mr Nkiwane was elected ZCTU president at the disputed congress held in Bulawayo in August but Mr Matombo refused to step down.
Justice Hlatshwayo had given the two camps up to last Friday to meet and iron out their differences but the talks did not yield the desired results. Following the collapse of the talks, Justice Hlatshwayo then recused himself.
Mr Nkiwane said yesterday that Justice Bere was now hearing the case.
“My lawyers yesterday advised me that Justice Francis Bere was taking over our case,” said Mr Nkiwane.
He said they were waiting for confirmation of the court date.
“We failed to come to an agreement with Mr Matombo as he is insisting that we reconvene another congress,” said Mr Nkiwane.
He said since the hearing was an urgent application, they hoped dates for the hearing would be set as soon as possible.
Mr Matombo said it was Mr Nkiwane’s faction that was being unreasonable and this had forced Justice Hlatshwayo to recuse himself.
“He had suggested that we talk, but Nkiwane and his people chose to behave otherwise,” said Mr Matombo.
He said he was still open to dialogue with Mr Nkiwane and his faction to resolve their differences. Mr Matombo’s faction is set to hold its own elective congress in Bulawayo on Friday and Saturday next week.
Mr Raymond Majongwe, who is the secretary-general for the Matombo-led faction, has said their congress will go ahead next week in Bulawayo and get the new leadership to occupy the ZCTU offices.
Earlier this year, the dispute spilled to the courts after Mr Matombo’s faction dragged the Nkiwane-led executive to the dock over the use of the union’s property, including the ZCTU headquarters at Chester House in Harare.
Last month, Mr Nkiwane filed an urgent chamber application to block Mr Matombo from referring to himself as president of the ZCTU, holding an elective congress and using ZCTU logos and assets.
The ZCTU split into two groups in August this year after Mr Nkiwane was elected president of the labour union at a congress which Mr Matombo’s faction boycotted.
Mr Matombo later disputed the results claiming that delegates who voted Mr Nkiwane into power were not genuine ZCTU members.