Manyame faces by-election

Daniel Nemukuyu Senior Reporter
A by-election could be held in Manyame Rural District Council Ward 8 after it emerged that recently declared councillor Mr Tichaona Munhunepi (MDC-Alliance) has a criminal conviction. A person with a criminal conviction or an offence involving dishonesty is disqualified from participating in elections.

Mr Munhunepi misrepresented during the nomination process that he had no criminal conviction, but he was jailed two years for perjury in 2015.

He came out tops in the local authority election held on Monday.
However, two other contestants for the same seat — Innocent Chasvinura (Zanu-PF) and Alford Madovi (MDC-T) — have approached the Electoral Court seeking nullification of Munhunepi’s victory.

The duo also seeks revocation of the announcement declaring Munhunepi a duly elected councillor for Ward 8.
They attached a judgment by a former Chitungwiza magistrate Mr Donald Ndirowei convicting Munhunepi of perjury.
Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC), its chairperson Justice Priscilla Chigumba and Munhunepi were listed as respondents in the court application.

The two candidates stated in the application that Munhunepi does not qualify to be a councillor.
“We have since discovered that the first respondent does not qualify to stand as a candidate because he was convicted for perjury or alternatively, defeating the course of justice.

“It is common cause and not in dispute that when one wants to contest in an election of this nature, the preamble qualification is of good standing — that no criminal conviction or previous conviction,” reads the court application.

The two argued that Munhunepi unsuccessfully appealed the criminal conviction at the High Court and that he was now on an outstanding warrant of arrest.

Munhunepi and ZEC were still to respond to the court application.