BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI
A Bulawayo High Court Judge has ruled that 12 Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) aspiring Member of Parliament from Bulawayo constituencies be struck off the ballot after they failed to tender their nomination papers on time on June 21.
High Court judge Justice Bongani Ndlovu made the ruling on Thursday citing that the twelve submitted their papers after a set deadline of 4PM.
According to CCC spokesperson Fadzayi Mahere, the judge’s ruling will be immediately appealed as she says politics are at play even in the judiciary.
“Even at his worst, (the late president) Robert Mugabe never tried to remove opponents whom he feared from the ballot paper,” Mahere said.
“Zanu PF’s removal of 12 Bulawayo candidates renders this a full blown dictatorship and an outpost of tyranny.
“The CCC will appeal against the Bulawayo judgment.
“Citizens have the right to nominate candidates within the ambit of the law and to be represented by MPs that they choose in a free and fair election.
“The right to parliamentary representation of their choice is sacred.”
The judgment means that Zanu PF will win 21 of the 210 parliamentary seats uncontested in the upcoming harmonized elections set for August 23.
If the ruling stands, It will also mean that Zanu PF will regain control of Bulawayo city for the first time since the 2000 elections in which they have continuously lost grip on for the past years, but analyst Ibbo Mandaza says this is an early indication of unfair election results.
“We are in a potential crisis, I can’t see how credible elections can be held at this rate, not to mention the many – much more in previous elections – negative features to the electoral process so far. ” Mandaza said.
Even Amnesty International on Tuesday issued a statement noting that Zimbabwe is heading for another disputed election because of disagreements over nomination of candidates, the poor state of the voters roll and restrictions on campaigns by the opposition.