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Harare Bureau
ZANU-PF has agreed to have expelled Bikita West National Assembly member Dr Munyaradzi Kereke remain the legislator of the constituency after he took the revolutionary party to the Constitutional Court challenging his expulsion from Parliament. Dr Kereke sued Zanu-PF after he was informed by the Speaker of Parliament recently that he had ceased to be the legislator for Bikita West Constituency after Zanu-PF secretary for administration Cde Didymus Mutasa wrote to Parliament saying Dr Kereke had been expelled from the party.
However, our Harare Bureau learnt yesterday that lawyers representing Zanu-PF, the Speaker of Parliament and the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission, who were listed as respondents, last week reached an out of court settlement allowing Dr Kereke to remain the legislator for Bikita West Constituency.
The deed of settlement, according to the source close to the matter, is now before Chief Justice Godfrey Chidyausiku for endorsement.
This means when the matter is brought for hearing tomorrow, Dr Kereke’s lawyer Advocate Lewis Uriri will ask the court to make the settlement an order of the court.
A source close to the matter said the parties’ lawyers met last week and came up with a deed of settlement.
“They have reached an out of court settlement. They have agreed that Dr Kereke remains a member of National Assembly for Bikita West Constituency. They have already signed an order by consent,” said the source who declined to be named.
Adv Uriri confirmed yesterday that the matter had been settled. “We have executed a consent order in terms of which it is declared by consent that Dr Kereke remains the MP (National Assembly Member) for Bikita West,” said Adv Uriri, adding that each party will bear its own costs of the suit.
However, until the Chief Justice signs the consent order, Dr Kereke remains expelled from Parliament. But once the consent order is granted, there will be no by-election for Bikita West Constituency.
Last week, Chief Justice Chidyausiku ruled that Dr Kereke’s case should be heard on urgent basis and set the hearing for tomorrow.
The Chief Justice made the ruling after the parties involved in the case agreed that the matter was indeed urgent.
Dr Kereke won the election to represent Bikita West in Parliament after beating Cde Elias Msakwa (Zanu-PF) and Mr Heya Shoko (MDC-T) after getting the nod to stand on Zanu-PF’s ticket from the party’s Masvingo provincial committee.
Dr Kereke received 7 270 votes, Cde Musakwa got 6 052, Mr Shoko 3 863, while Mr Katema managed only 415. Some in the revolutionary party, however, disowned him, saying they recognised Cde Msakwa as the official candidate.
Online Reporter