Twelve Citizens Coalition of Change (CCC) members candidates running for Parliament seats in Bulawayo constituencies have lost a court appeal against disqaulification from running in the August 23 elections. This means that the ruling Zanu Pf candidates will now take all the seats uncontested.
Justice Nokuthula Moyo, delivered the ruling on behalf of Justice Bongani Ndlovu, stating that the opposition candidates had filed their nomination papers after the 4 p.m. deadline on June 21 2023.
CCC spokesperson Fadzayi Mahere confirmed the development on Twitter.
“We’ve received a report that our candidates in Bulawayo have been barred from contesting,” she said in a statement,” said Mahere.
Mahere added that the party would contest the ruling.
“CCC will appeal against the Bulawayo Judgment. Citizens have the right to nominate candidates within the ambit of the law and to be represented by MPs that they choose in a free & fair election. The right to parliamentary representation of choice is sacred. #ForEveryone,” Tweeted Mahere.
With this ruling Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube, who is running for the Cowdray Park constituency among other Zanu PF candidates will go into the contest unopposed.
Zanu Pf supporters dance at a ruling party rally recently.
There have been mixed reactions to the ruling, with some Zimbabweans on Twitter accusing ZEC of rigging the elections in favor of Zanu Pf, whilst others blasted the CCC for alleged disorganization.
Responding to the ruling in a Twitter post, Journalist Hopewell Chin’ono blamed the CCC for centralizing party processes, thus disabling the regional leadership in Bulawayo from handling the nominations.
“A tragic reality that could have been avoided if only the local leadership had been empowered to run things. This is the problem with centralising decisions and processes. Nomination court was open on June 10, there was NO reason to file papers last minute. To imagine that Mthuli Ncube sails through without contest is the most painful thing that could have happened so far as a result of not listening!” Tweeted Chin’ono.
However CCC Deputy Spokesperson Gift “Ostallos” Siziba rejected this notion, arguing that it was the fault of ZEC and not of his party, claiming that their candidates had submitted their documents on town, adding that a decentralized process would have resulted in many more double candidates.
“You have missed the point with a huge margin mkoma Hope. Our papers were filed on time that is a fact . What you suggest would have caused more problems than you can imagine. Double candidates would have been all over the urban areas. The issue here is of Judicial interference and capture!”Said Siziba in his Tweet.
