NEW: High Court bars Kasukuwere from Presidential elections

Zimpapers Elections Desk

Zimbabwe’s High Court has barred former Cabinet Minister Mr Saviour Kasukuwere from contesting in the August 23 harmonised elections as a Presidential candidate.

Lawyer Mr Lovedale Mangwana had challenged Mr Kasukuwere’s candidacy in the courts on the grounds that the politician had been living outside Zimbabwe for more than 18 months and, therefore, was ineligible to contest.

In a judgement delivered on Wednesday morning, High Court judge Justice David Mangota said the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) had erred in approving Mr Kasukuwere’s nomination.

Speaking to journalists soon after the ruling, Mr Mangwana’s lawyer, Advocate Lewis Uriri, said:

“This is what we have always contended that one of the qualifications of a candidate for the Presidential elections is that they ought to be registered as voter, and the law is that if you are not ordinarily resident in Zimbabwe for at least 18 months, you are deemed to have ceased to be registered vote.

“And so, Mr Kasukuwere ceased, by operation of law, to be a registered voter and consequently ceased to qualify to run for the office of the President.”