12 CCC candidates barred from August polls
The Bulawayo High Court rules to ban 12 opposition CCC candidates from contesting in the upcoming August 2023 elections.
BULAWAYO, ZIMBABWE — In a decision that has cast a shadow over the upcoming elections, the Bulawayo High Court has barred 12 opposition Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) candidates from contesting the August 2023 polls, writes Shorai Murwira.
The ruling, which was handed down on Thursday, came after a group of 12 Zanu PF activists filed a challenge to the CCC candidates' nominations, alleging that they had filed their papers late.
The affected candidates include Surrender Kapoikulu (Bulawayo Central), Minenhle Ntandoyenkosi Gumede (Bulawayo North), Nicola Watson (Bulawayo South), Raphael Sibanda (Cowdray Park), Collins Discent Bajila (Emakhandeni/Luveve), and Tshuma Dingilizwe (Entumbane/Njube).
Additional candidates affected by the ban are Prince Dube (Entumbane/Njube), Dereck Gono (Lobengula/Magwegwe), Desmond Makaza (Mpopoma/Mzilikazi), Obert Manduna (Nketa), Desire Moyo (Nkulumane), Soneni Moyo (Pelandaba/Tshabalala), Gift Siziba (Pelandaba/Tshabalala), Sichelesile Mahlangu (Pumula), and Albert Mhlanga (Pumula).
CCC spokesperson Fadzai Mahere announced on Twitter that the party plans to appeal against the court's decision, stating, "Citizens have the right to nominate candidates within the ambit of the law and to be represented by the legislators that they choose in a free and fair election".
The CCC candidates, who are represented by Professor Welshman Ncube and Advocate Thabani Mpofu, argued that the Zanu PF activists had not physically submitted their papers at the nomination courts on the alleged late filing day and relied on social media as evidence.
Furthermore, the defence team contended that the Zanu PF activists failed to present sufficient evidence to challenge the candidatures of the 12 CCC parliamentary aspirants.
Despite these arguments, the court ruled in favour of the Zanu PF activists, barring the CCC candidates from contesting in the upcoming elections.
The ruling is a significant setback for the CCC, which has been gaining popularity in recent months. It is also a blow to the hopes of those who had been hoping for a free and fair election in Zimbabwe.
The CCC has announced that it plans to appeal against the court's decision, and it is likely that this will shed further light on the disputed nominations.
In the meantime, the ruling has cast a shadow over the upcoming elections, raising questions about the fairness of the process. It remains to be seen whether the CCC will be able to overturn the decision, but the ruling has certainly made the path to victory more difficult.