“ZLTHJF STATEMENT IN RESPONSE TO POST-CABINET BRIEFING OF 14 SEPTEMBER 2021 ON ALLOWING ONLY VACCINATED CHURCH CONGREGANTS TO ATTEND CHURCH AND LIMITING THE NUMBER TO 50% OF THE HOLDING CAPACITY OF THE CHURCH On 9 September 2021, the High Court of Zimbabwe in the urgent chamber application of Obert Kondongwe v Minister of Information and Publicity & Ors HC 4284/21 issued an interim order to the effect that; a. The position by Government to bar unvaccinated congregants from attending church be suspended pending the return date of the application; b. The Police be barred from conducting arrests and criminal proceedings against unvaccinated sit-in church congregants pending the return date of the application. On the 14th of September 2021, the Hon Minister of Information and Publicity following a post-cabinet briefing issued a statement to the effect that Cabinet had resolved that only vaccinated congregants can attend church and also limited the number to 50% of the holding capacity of the church. We must state that the position taken by Cabinet is now in clear violation of the Court order issued by the High Court on the 9th of September 2021. The Court order was clear that unvaccinated congregants cannot be barred from attending physical church meetings. The position by Cabinet is in our view not only unlawful and discriminatory but now bordering on contempt of a Court order. It also contains threats to judicial independence which are unacceptable in a democratic nation and are inconsistent with the doctrine of the separation of powers enshrined in the Constitution. We take strong exception to this unlawful and contemptuous position taken by Cabinet and point out that in our law a litigant who is aggrieved with a Court decision must take necessary legal steps against that decision and not seek to undermine the Court order or threaten unlawful action against the successful litigant. The position taken by Cabinet in this regard poses a serious danger to justice and the rule of law in Zimbabwe and conveys a wrong message to all those who uphold constitutionality and constitutionalism. We hope that Cabinet will reflect and withdraw its unlawful contemptuous conduct which is inappropriate and damaging to the to the interests of Zimbabwe. Be that as it may, we state for the record and for the avoidance of doubt that the High Court order of 9 September 2021 is extant and remains binding on Government and all citizens of Zimbabwe and as such the now purported ban on unvaccinated church congregants is of no force or effect. THE END ”

“ZLTHJF STATEMENT IN RESPONSE TO POST-CABINET BRIEFING OF 14 SEPTEMBER 2021 ON ALLOWING ONLY VACCINATED CHURCH CONGREGANTS TO ATTEND CHURCH AND LIMITING THE NUMBER TO 50% OF THE HOLDING CAPACITY OF THE CHURCH On 9 September 2021, the High Court of Zimbabwe in the urgent chamber application of Obert Kondongwe v Minister of Information and Publicity & Ors HC 4284/21 issued an interim order to the effect that; a. The position by Government to bar unvaccinated congregants from attending church be suspended pending the return date of the application; b. The Police be barred from conducting arrests and criminal proceedings against unvaccinated sit-in church congregants pending the return date of the application. On the 14th of September 2021, the Hon Minister of Information and Publicity following a post-cabinet briefing issued a statement to the effect that Cabinet had resolved that only vaccinated congregants can attend church and also limited the number to 50% of the holding capacity of the church. We must state that the position taken by Cabinet is now in clear violation of the Court order issued by the High Court on the 9th of September 2021. The Court order was clear that unvaccinated congregants cannot be barred from attending physical church meetings. The position by Cabinet is in our view not only unlawful and discriminatory but now bordering on contempt of a Court order. It also contains threats to judicial independence which are unacceptable in a democratic nation and are inconsistent with the doctrine of the separation of powers enshrined in the Constitution. We take strong exception to this unlawful and contemptuous position taken by Cabinet and point out that in our law a litigant who is aggrieved with a Court decision must take necessary legal steps against that decision and not seek to undermine the Court order or threaten unlawful action against the successful litigant. The position taken by Cabinet in this regard poses a serious danger to justice and the rule of law in Zimbabwe and conveys a wrong message to all those who uphold constitutionality and constitutionalism. We hope that Cabinet will reflect and withdraw its unlawful contemptuous conduct which is inappropriate and damaging to the to the interests of Zimbabwe. Be that as it may, we state for the record and for the avoidance of doubt that the High Court order of 9 September 2021 is extant and remains binding on Government and all citizens of Zimbabwe and as such the now purported ban on unvaccinated church congregants is of no force or effect. THE END ”

“ZLTHJF STATEMENT IN RESPONSE TO POST-CABINET BRIEFING OF 14 SEPTEMBER 2021 ON ALLOWING ONLY VACCINATED CHURCH CONGREGANTS TO ATTEND CHURCH AND LIMITING THE NUMBER TO 50% OF THE HOLDING CAPACITY OF THE CHURCH On 9 September 2021, the High Court of Zimbabwe in the urgent chamber application of Obert Kondongwe v Minister of Information and Publicity & Ors HC 4284/21 issued an interim order to the effect that; a. The position by Government to bar unvaccinated congregants from attending church be suspended pending the return date of the application; b. The Police be barred from conducting arrests and criminal proceedings against unvaccinated sit-in church congregants pending the return date of the application. On the 14th of September 2021, the Hon Minister of Information and Publicity following a post-cabinet briefing issued a statement to the effect that Cabinet had resolved that only vaccinated congregants can attend church and also limited the number to 50% of the holding capacity of the church. We must state that the position taken by Cabinet is now in clear violation of the Court order issued by the High Court on the 9th of September 2021. The Court order was clear that unvaccinated congregants cannot be barred from attending physical church meetings. The position by Cabinet is in our view not only unlawful and discriminatory but now bordering on contempt of a Court order. It also contains threats to judicial independence which are unacceptable in a democratic nation and are inconsistent with the doctrine of the separation of powers enshrined in the Constitution. We take strong exception to this unlawful and contemptuous position taken by Cabinet and point out that in our law a litigant who is aggrieved with a Court decision must take necessary legal steps against that decision and not seek to undermine the Court order or threaten unlawful action against the successful litigant. The position taken by Cabinet in this regard poses a serious danger to justice and the rule of law in Zimbabwe and conveys a wrong message to all those who uphold constitutionality and constitutionalism. We hope that Cabinet will reflect and withdraw its unlawful contemptuous conduct which is inappropriate and damaging to the to the interests of Zimbabwe. Be that as it may, we state for the record and for the avoidance of doubt that the High Court order of 9 September 2021 is extant and remains binding on Government and all citizens of Zimbabwe and as such the now purported ban on unvaccinated church congregants is of no force or effect. THE END ”