Zimbabwe Courts v Government

An extraordinary showdown looms between President Robert Mugabe's government and the country's judicial system after the justice minister Patrick Chinamasa was sentenced to three months in jail for contempt of court.

A leading government official said the order by a high court judge to jail Mr Chinamasa would be defied. "The sentence imposed on the minister has no force of effect," said David Mangota, permanent secretary of the justice ministry.

Mr Chinamasa's prison sentence, and a fine of Z$50,000 (£650), were imposed on Wednesday by judge Fergus Blackie after the justice minister repeatedly refused to appear on contempt of court charges.

Mr Chinamasa, one of Mr Mugabe's most trusted ministers, was called to the court on the grounds that his harsh public criticism of a court decision showed contempt. Mr Chinamasa had attacked as too lenient a sentence of six months' imprisonment on three Americans convicted of illegal possession of arms. Mr Chinamasa said the sentence "induced a sense of shock and outrage in the minds of right thinking people".

"He has deliberately scorned and avoided the process and directives of the court. His only response to the authority of the court has been abuse and threats," Judge Blackie said on Wednesday.

The influential information minister, Jonathan Moyo, attacked the jail sentence handed to Mr Chinamasa as "shocking, outrageous and sinister".