Harare, Zimbabwe – Tensions have escalated between lawyers representing Matabeleland pressure group Ibhetshu LikaZulu and its leader Mbuso Fuzwayo over a Constitutional Court bid to block President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s term extension, with legal fees of US$450 000 at the centre of the dispute.
Well-placed legal sources say Nqobani Sithole of Sithole Law Chambers, the instructing lawyer, and advocate Method Ndlovu of Apex Legal Group clashed after Ndlovu hastily withdrew, citing a breakdown in trust, reputational risk, and alleged lack of payment.
The total bill of US$450 000, initially meant for three lawyers, was settled by Ibhetshu and Fuzwayo. Ndlovu reportedly collected US$225 000 but now demands the full amount, sparking the current legal wrangle. Sithole, meanwhile, retained the balance after another advocate withdrew.
Moyo vs Mpofu vs Ndlovu: Explosive Legal and Political Feud
The legal drama took a sharper turn when former Information Minister Professor Jonathan Moyo publicly condemned Advocate Method Ndlovu over his 5 March 2026 letter. Moyo accused Ndlovu of reckless, unprofessional, and unethical conduct, asserting that the letter falsely claimed he was “the principal architect of the litigation.”
Moyo alleged that Ndlovu had secretly recorded a telephone call on 16 December 2025 with liaison lawyer Zibusiso Ncube, inserting himself without prior notice, and later leaked both the audio and the withdrawal letter to advance a narrative of reputational risk and unpaid fees. He called the actions “pure, unadulterated fiction” and “a deliberate media stunt.”
In a detailed statement, Moyo highlighted that Ndlovu repeatedly sought to bypass instructing lawyers to engage him directly, despite Moyo’s clear refusal, adding that Ndlovu’s claims about financial risk and reputational damage were cynical and unsubstantiated. The former minister emphasized that Ndlovu had no prior relationship with him and was never authorised to discuss the case directly.
Advocate Thabani Mpofu, meanwhile, strongly defended Ndlovu, praising his courage in walking away from the case amid controversy. Mpofu argued that the leaked letter actually strengthened Ndlovu’s position, stating:
“Those who leaked his letter hoped to discredit him; instead, the disclosure strengthened his position. Now that the facts are public, there are important questions that must be answered. Method is the hero of the month.”
However, some observers have challenged Mpofu’s defence of Ndlovu, arguing that his actions were primarily self-serving. One comment read:
“I don’t understand. You think he was not aware of what was happening from the start? He’s a hero because he backed away when money was no longer coming? Everything about Mlevu’s tactics he wasn’t aware? By his own letter, the issue is NON-PAYMENT. Zvimwe zvese zvangove nyambo. In his letter he acknowledges that he is aware payment had been made to Sithole on the case but such had not reached him. Who is paying Sithole? He is only a hero because he is an inside man who snitched to the outside world, helping to prove Moyo’s schemes and shenanigans, but he only did it to save face in the absence of payment.”
Professional and Political Implications
The feud has now shifted attention from the constitutional challenge itself to the credibility of those behind it. With Advocate Method Ndlovu’s role contested and Professor Jonathan Moyo strongly denying he was the architect of the litigation, critics say the dispute risks weakening the case against Constitutional Amendment Bill No. 3.
Analysts warn that if the legal challenge is viewed as politically engineered or financially compromised, it could undermine opposition efforts to block the proposed changes widely seen as enabling President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s potential stay in power beyond 2028 and toward 2030.
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