The Nomination Courts were sitting across the country— and
before yesterday it was receiving nomination papers for aspiring candidates for
local government, legislature and also the presidency.
While for Zanu PF, it was smooth sailing, across the
political divide in the CCC, it was pain and frustration as candidates were
turned away because they failed to comply with elementary requirements while
some, who were apparently riled by the blatant imposition of candidates by the
leadership, chose to submit their papers either as independent candidates or as
double candidates.
The ruling party appeared late last night to have won
uncontested local Government seats as well as in some constituencies.
Zanu PF Mashonaland East province aspiring candidates Cde
Daniel Garwe (left) and Cde Felix Mhona follow proceedings at the nomination
court after submitting their papers at the Marondera Magistrates Court
yesterday.
In Mashonaland East, CCC fielded two candidates in
Marondera Central, namely Mr Caston Matewu and Mr Misheck Manyere.
The two will face Zanu PF seasoned politician and
educationist Cde Cleopas Kundiona.
At a time when CCC aspiring candidates were trading
insults, in Zanu PF all candidates had successfully submitted their papers.
In an interview after close of the Nomination Court
process, Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec) Mashonaland East provincial
presiding officer Mr Collins Munetsi said the process went on smoothly.
“We were supposed to end at 4 pm but we had outstanding
issues but by 5:10 pm the results of the process were announced.
“We did not encounter any disturbing scenes; it was
peaceful the whole day. Applicants met the requirements but it is quite
disappointing that some brought their papers late,” he said.
In Harare, Zanu PF provincial chairman Cde Goodwill
Masimirembwa said the process went on very well.
“We want to thank the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission for
conducting this process in an efficient and professional manner.
“On our part as Zanu PF we pre-filled our nomination papers
and everything went on very well this morning (yesterday).
“In Harare we have 30 candidates for the National Assembly,
six candidates for the Senate in a Zebra system headed by a female and six also
for the Women’s quota in the National Assembly and then two for the youth
quota,” said Cde Masimirembwa.
The party, Cde Masimirembwa said, has filed 45 candidates
for the Local Authorities in Harare.
“We have also filed for 45 candidates for the local
authority candidates in Harare municipality, 14 for the proportional
representation, the women’s quota. We also filed for the provincial council
which are 10 of them following the Zebra system headed by a female then
followed by a male.
“We also filed our papers in Chitungwiza Municipality being
for the 25 candidates for Local Authority and eight for the proportional
representation for the Women’s quota.
“In Epworth we also filed for the seven wards and then two
for the women’s quota in the Local authorities,” he said.
MDC director for Information and Publicity Mr Chengetai
Guta said they are ready for the harmonised elections.
“We have submitted our nomination papers to ensure all our
candidates contest in the coming elections.
“We have been submitting our nomination papers since last
week,” said Mr Guta.
In Masvingo, aspiring CCC legislators almost traded blows
at the Nomination Courts as they haggled over the contested final list.
In contrast all Zanu PF candidates successfully filed their
papers for both National Assembly and council election in the province.
Scores of aspiring Members of Parliament, senators and
Women’s quota representatives throng the Mutare Magistrates Court to file their
nomination papers yesterday.
CCC Mayor Councillor Collins Maboke filed his papers to
contest Masvingo Urban National Assembly seat as an independent candidate
officially renouncing his membership of the party.
The situation was the same in Chiredzi West where former
Chiredzi council chair Councillor Gibson Hwende also reportedly filed papers to
contest as an independent candidate.
Councillor Maboke will slug it out with Cde Wellington
Mahwende of Zanu PF, Mr Martin Mureri of CCC, while in Chiredzi Central Councillor
Hwende will battle it out with Cde Francis Moyo of Zanu PF and Ms Ropafadzo
Makumire of CCC.
Speaking after filing his papers as an independent
candidate, Councillor Maboke said he was no longer a CCC member.
“I am contesting the Masvingo Urban seat as an independent
candidate because I was disqualified from standing as a CCC candidate without
explanation. For now, I am independent and don’t have a party if ever I am
going to be CCC member again it will be some time under new circumstances,” said
the ex-Masvingo mayor.
In Gutu Central, journalist and Masvingo Mirror publisher
Mr Matthew Takaona will represent CCC after successfully filing his papers and
will square off with Mines and Mining Development Minister Winston Chitando,
the incumbent MP.
It was the same story in Bulawayo where candidates from CCC
failed to submit their papers after missing the deadline and this could see the
ruling party taking an early lead in the elections.
All the aspiring 12 candidates were late yesterday
struggling to submit their papers after the Nomination Court noted that the
party had made an error on signatories.
In Bindura, the Nomination Court successfully sat at the
Magistrates Courts where candidates for the House of Assembly women’s and
youths’ quota as well as the provincial council for four political parties
namely Zanu PF, CCC, MDC and Unites Zimbabwe Alliance filed their papers.
Out of the 18 candidates for Zanu PF who won the parties
primary elections, only one Cde Douglas Karoro, was replaced by his contender,
Cde David Butau.
Cde Butau successfully filled his papers and is now
standing as Zanu PF candidate for Mbire and he thanked the Second Republic for
accepting back party cadres who were pushed out by factionalism.
The provincial elections officer Ms Thenjiwe Mnkandla said
the nomination process closed at 4 pm but the verification of the final list
spilled up to 8 pm.
“The process went on well, we had no incidents. We are now
looking at the final papers to come up with the final list of candidates. We
had four political parties filing their papers with more than 80 percent
success rate,” she said.
“Minor challenges were on paperwork but they were solved.
We will know after the final process if any candidate was disqualified, they
are finishing up. We had no incidents of double fielding.”
In Mashonaland West, there were indications that several
people who could not make it in the mainstream political parties filed their
papers as independent candidates.
The development was mostly prevalent among those seeking to
be elected as councillors. There were also notable aspiring Members of
Parliament including former Mines and Mining Development Minister Walter
Chidakwa for Zvimba South and Temba Mliswa for Norton.
There were also reports that incumbent opposition Chinhoyi
MP Dr Peter Matarutse (CCC) who was nicodemously dropped in favour of Mr Leslie
Mhangwa, could have filed his papers as an independent candidate.
By 4pm almost all Zanu PF candidates had successfully filed
their papers while others were making frantic efforts to make corrections or
provide outstanding documents.
In the Midlands province, the Nomination Court was extended
by two more hours after aspiring candidates thronged the court gallery late to
beat the 4pm deadline.
Aspiring councillors wait to submit their papers to the
Nomination Court at Council Chambers in Bulawayo yesterday.
There were also double candidates in the opposition CCC
with former Gweru Mayor, Councillor Josiah Makombe filling papers for Gweru
Urban together with Ms Blessing Mhishi.
Ms Mhishi could be seen confronting CCC leadership of Mr
Amos Chibaya and Mr Sesil Zvidzai after some party members tried to block her
from filing her papers. Herald
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