Vusumuzi Dube
Rutendo Nyeve, Sunday News Reporter
THE High Court of Zimbabwe has barred the 22 recalled CCC Members of the National Assembly from contesting in Saturday’s by-election after ruling that the move by the nomination court to accept their papers was unlawful.
The 22 CCC Members were recalled by their party’s interim Secretary General Mr Sengezo Tshabangu and went on to file their nomination papers on 7 November for the by elections under the CCC banner.
Mr Tshabangu through his lawyer Advocate Lewis Uriri filed an urgent chamber application citing the 22 as respondents including the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission, Minister of Justice and Parliamentary Affairs as well as the CCC.
On Thursday, the High Court ruled in the applicant’s favour ordering that the 22 respondents are not candidates for the by-elections.
“It is ordered that the decision of the Nomination Court sitting at Harare, Bulawayo, Gwanda, Lupane and/or any other location around the country on 7 November 2023 to accept the nomination papers and candidature of first to 22nd respondents for election in the by-elections set to be conducted on 9. December 2023 is unlawful, of no force and effect and hereby set aside.
“It is ordered that the respondents are not candidates for election in the by- elections scheduled to be conducted on 9 December 2023 and that 23rd and 24th respondents shall not include the names of first to 22nd respondents in the preparation of ballot papers to be used in the by-elections scheduled to be conducted on 9 December 2023.
“It is ordered that the first to 22nd respondents are interdicted from representing or holding themselves out to the general public and electorate in the constituencies concerned or any other place in Zimbabwe, whether physically or through any form of media, as candidates for election in by-elections scheduled to be held on 9 December 2023 and that the respondents shall jointly and severally pay the applicants’ cost on the ordinary scale,” reads the judgement.
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