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Chief Court Reporter
TWELVE CCC aspiring legislators have been cleared to contest in the upcoming harmonised elections slated for August 23, after the Supreme Court quashed the High Court decision that had disqualified them.
The 12 had been removed from the ballot paper on the grounds that they had submitted their nomination papers out of time. In a ruling delivered this afternoon, the Supreme Court appeal bench of three judges granted the appeal by the 12 CCC aspiring Bulawayo National Assembly candidates, finding merit in their case.
Surrender Kapoikulu (Bulawayo Central), Minenhle Ntandoyenkosi Gumede (Bulawayo North), Nicola Watson (Bulawayo South), Raphael Sibanda (Cowdray Park), Collins Decent Bajila (Emakhandeni/Luveve), Tshuma Dingilizwe (Entumbane/Njube), Prince Dube (Entumbane/ Njube), Dereck Gono (Lobengula/ Magwegwe), Desmond Makaza(Mpopoma/Mzilikazi), Obert Manduna (Nketa), Desire Moyo (Nkulumane), Soneni Moyo (Pelandaba/Tshabalala), Gift Ostallos Siziba(Pelandaba/Tshabalala), Sichelesile Mahlangu (Pumula) and Albert Mhlanga(Pumula)—had been affected by the lower court decision.
The appeal by the 12 CCC candidates came after Justice Bongani Ndlovu sitting at the High Court in Bulawayo last week barred the candidates after another voter approached the court in a civil suit accusing them of filing their nomination papers after 4pm with the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission exceeding its discretionary powers by adjourning the court to the next day. Justice Ndlovu, in his judgment, also ordered the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission to exclude the names of the aspiring candidates in the ballot papers.
The Nomination Court sat on June 21 to accept papers from aspiring candidates in Bulawayo Metropolitan, but then sat again the next day to accommodate aspiring candidates, who had failed to file their papers on time. Six other candidates from Zapu, Free Zim Congress and ZANC who had also submitted their papers after the 4pm deadline and were also disqualified—are also back on the ballot.
Online Reporter