23 January 2024
Wezhira Munya
The spokesperson of President Nelson Chamisa’s Citizens Coalition for Change [CCC] party, Mr. Promise Mkwananzi, has announced that the party intends to appeal the High Court judgment that disqualified its candidates for the by-elections scheduled for 3rd February 2024.
In a statement, Mr. Mkwananzi stated, “We will lodge the appeal with the Supreme Court within the specified time-frame.”
If the CCC proceeds with the appeal, it could overturn the High Court’s decision on 19th January 2024, under Case number HCH197/24, and reinstate the CCC candidates, allowing them to participate in the upcoming by-elections.
Mr. Mkwananzi urged CCC candidates, voters, supporters, and citizens to continue their campaigns in order to secure victory in the by-elections on 3rd February 2024.
Zanu PF had already begun celebrating when the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) declared earlier today that CCC candidates were disqualified, automatically granting Zanu PF five council seats in Harare, Chiredzi, and Manyame Rural District Council.
In an official notice, ZEC’s Chief Elections Officer, Mr. Utoile Silaigwana, announced that five Zanu PF candidates had been declared winners for the respective wards.
“The public is hereby informed that, following the High Court Order issued on the 19th of January 2024 under Case number HCH197/24, the nomination of Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) party candidates specified in Schedule 1 below, who had been nominated for elections in the by-elections scheduled for the 3rd of February 2024, has been set aside,” declared Silaigwana.
He further listed the disqualified CCC candidates as Musingashari Musingashari (Chiredzi Town Council, Ward 6), former Mayor, Roger Chikonye (Chiredzi Town Council, Ward 7), Samuel Gwenzi (Harare Municipality Ward 5), Ian Makone (Harare Municipality, Ward 18), and Innocent Kuziva Haparari (Manyame RDC).
Silaigwana added, “Consequently, the public is hereby notified, in terms of section 125 (4)(a) of the Electoral Act (Chapter 2:13), that since only one candidate has been duly nominated for each of the specified vacant wards, the persons specified in Schedule 2 below have been duly elected as members of the local authorities with effect from 3rd February 2024.”
The Zanu PF councillors who have been declared winners in their respective council seats are Costen Mombe (Chiredzi Town Council Ward 6), Brighton Nyashadzashe Mahiya (Chiredzi Town Council Ward 7), Abdurrahman Sapa (Harare Municipality Ward 5), Rufaro Daniel Matsika (Harare Municipality Ward 18), and Simbarashe Ngarande (Manyame Rural Distric Council).
Zimbabwe is heading towards parliamentary and council by-elections in different parts of the country on February 3rd, following the recalls ordered by Tshabangu on numerous representatives elected on a CCC ticket during the national elections.
