By Staff Reporter
Opposition Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) says the party’s legal team has taken decisive action against what they allege to be a concerted effort by the ruling Zanu PF party to undermine the upcoming by-elections.
In a statement, party national spokesperson Promise Mkwananzi said the removal of CCC candidates from the ballot, announced by Chief of elections Mr Utoile Silaigwana, has been nullified through a court appeal.
“The statement by Silaigwana that he has removed our candidates is therefore nullified by the court appeal. Accordingly, by-elections are proceeding as scheduled tomorrow with all our candidates on the ballot paper. We urge all citizens to turn out in their numbers to re-confirm our legitimate candidates by electing them back,” Mkwananzi stated.
Accusing the Zanu PF of contaminating and corrupting the justice system, Mkwananzi claimed that the ruling party is attempting to divert attention from the CCC’s pursuit of victory in the harmonized elections of August 2023.
He went further to allege that the Zanu PF is using unlawful tactics, including abductions and assassinations, to intimidate CCC candidates and activists.
“In Mabvuku-Tafara, they abducted and murdered Bishop Tapfumanei Masaya. Although the perpetrators of these heinous acts are known and have been recorded on camera, no single arrest has been effected,” he said
Mkwananzi argued that the government’s focus on by-elections has resulted in a collapse of essential government business, including the failure to adequately debate and interpret the national budget
“An opportunity to adequately debate, dissect, interpret and ensure that the national budget remains pro-poor has been lost. All this mis-prioritisation is happening at a time when the nation is faced with unprecedented drought that will severely expose the fallacy of a bumper harvest through ill-conceived pfumvudza looting scheme leaving the majority of the citizens facing starvation
“The August 2023 elections were rigged as confirmed by all observer mission’s damning reports, making Mnangagwa’s government illegitimate and operating on a de facto and caretaker basis pending the final resolution of the electoral dispute,” Mkwananzi said.
