Drama as nomination court sits

TICHAONA KATSVAMUTIMA/TENDAI BHEBE

The High Court yesterday set aside the notice of cancellation of the nomination court for six constituencies on a day of drama as candidates filed their papers for the March 26 by elections.

However, the order was served after the nomination courts had closed, the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) said.

“This court order was served at 1655hrs after the nomination courts had closed and it became a legal impossibility to implement. Nomination courts close at 1600hrs in terms of the law. @ZECzim will be guided on the way forward by legal instruments/orders to be issued in terms of the law,” ZEC tweeted.

ZEC on Tuesday cancelled by-elections for six constituencies—Nkulumane, Mbizo, Kambuzuma, Mutasa South, Pumula and Harare East following a court order.

In Mashonaland West, 43 candidates successfully filed their nomination papers to compete in 17 wards, with the ruling party and Citizen Coalition for Change filed in all 17 wards while MDC Alliance filed five wards, this was confirmed to Business Times by Zimbabwe Electoral Commission Acting provincial  elections officer Austin Ndlovu in the Midlands Province most aspirants successfully submitted their papers with ZANU PF, Citizen Coalition for Change and MDC-Alliance dominating. For local authority by-elections in Gweru city Ward 2, three candidates, ZANU PF`s Erlanger Tinarwo, Josiah Makombe of CCC, and MDC-Alliance’s Partson Chingwaru successfully tendered their nomination papers.

Meanwhile, opposition MDC-T  has threatened to recall lawmakers and councillors for showing allegiance to Nelson Chamisa’s Citizens’ Coalition for Change.

Chamisa’s party this week dumped the MDC Alliance tag.

MDC-T spokesperson Witness Dube said recalls are on the way.

“Our MDC law is no respector of person, I don’t see how it is going to end in any other way except to see further recalls of any persons that are going to form any new political party or who are going to be under any umbrella term that is divorced to MDC T or the MDC Alliance it is self-expulsion from their party, which is as a party we are obliged to acknowledge and notify parliament so that they will be withdrawn,” Dube said.

Some of the lawmakers believed to be linked to Chamisa are Hwange Central legislator Daniel Molokele, Job Sikhala (Zengeza West) Joanna Mamombe(Harare West) Costa Machingauta (Budiriro)among others.

Asked what would happen to his members who are still in Parliament during his launch of his party Chamisa said his members were “not worried” about the imminent recall “because they were chosen by the people.”

“It is the citizens who voted for the MPs who are in Parliament. Nobody has the right to temper with the mandate of the citizens. If they so choose, so be it. And these MPs are not worried because they were chosen by the people,” Chamisa said.

President Emmerson Mnangagwa proclaimed March 26 as the date for by-elections to fill the 28 vacant National Assembly and 105 local authority seats across the country.

It’s not plain sailing for the MDC-T as president Douglas Mwonzora and his deputy Thokozani Khupe are locked in a bitter fight for the control of the party.

Last week, Khupe announced a split arguing that Mwonzora had expelled himself from the party the day he announced himself as the president of the MDC Alliance.

Analysts say the tussle between Khupe and Mwonzora is a sideshow as the main battle pits Zanu PF against Chamisa’s CCC.

“What others are doing like Mwonzora, Khupe and so forth these are insignificant side shows on the periphery of the main match. It’s like kids playing plastic ball on the sidelines. Whatever they are doing with Mwonzora are insignificant actions. They have no bearing whatsoever in the outcome of the 2023 elections,” said political analyst Maxwell Saungweme.

As the tussle continues, the government this week announced a windfall for political parties. In an extraordinary Government Gazette, Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs minister Ziyambi Ziyambi said ZWL$500m  has been set aside for Zanu PF and MDC under the Political Parties (Finance) Act for use this year.