Court Bars Recalled CCC Candidates From Contesting In By-election
By Staff Reporter
The High Court has granted the order sought by ‘self-proclaiming’ Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) interim secretary general, Sengezo Tshabangu, to remove the names of the recalled MPs and Councillors who ceased to be CCC members from the ballot paper for the upcoming by-elections scheduled for Saturday.
Justice Never Katiyo declared that the decision by the Nomination Court to accept the nomination papers and candidature of the candidates for the upcoming by-elections was unlawful and of no force and effect.
“The decision of the Nomination Court to accept the nomination papers and candidature of the 1st to 22nd respondents for the by-elections has been set aside, deemed unlawful, and of no force and effect. The 1st to 22nd respondents are explicitly declared as not candidates for the by-elections scheduled to be conducted on December 9, 2023.
“The 23rd and 24th respondents, responsible for preparing the ballot papers, are prohibited from including the names of the 1st to 22nd respondents in the upcoming by-election. The 1st to 22nd respondents are interdicted from representing or holding themselves out as candidates for the by-elections, whether physically or through any form of media, in the constituencies concerned or any other place in Zimbabwe,” read Justice Katiyo’s ruling
Meanwhile, CCC candidate Febion Kufahakutizwi for Mabvuku and is contesting Zanu PF’s Scott Sakupwanya was not affected by Justice Katiyo’s ruling as he is said to have been recalled in error.
‘My client advises that there was never an intention to recall Febion Munyaradzi Kufahakutizwi as an MP. Consequently, we have not cited him as a respondent in our court action. He is unaffected by court ruling on the recalled people,” said Tshabangu’s lawyer Nqobani Sithole.
