Admore Chivero, Willard Madzimbamuto and Oliver Mutasa
filed as independent candidates respectively in Chegutu West, Seke and Zvimba
East, a departure from the strategy taken by the other three recalled
candidates – Gift Ostallos Siziba, Stephen Chagwiza and Amos Chibaya who filed
as CCC candidates ahead of February 3
by-elections next year.
Siziba, Chagwiza and Chibaya are running for the
Pelandaba-Tshabalala, Goromonzi South and Mkoba South constituency seats
respectively.
However, in filing as CCC candidates, Siziba, Chagwiza and
Chibaya defied a previous High Court order that barred recalled CCC members
from contesting by-elections using the CCC party name.
CCC National Spokesperson Promise Mkhwananzi seemed to
distance the independent candidates from the party when questioned about the
rationale behind the different approaches adopted by these six candidates from
the same political party, as he claimed their official candidates were those
who successfully filed as CCC candidates.
“Well, what I can tell you is I cannot speak on their
behalf. I can only speak on behalf of the party and yesterday we clarified that
our candidates filed under the party. That is the official position of the
party and those are the candidates of the party,” he said in an interview with
CITE.
Mkhwananzi said there is a misconstrued narrative that
their candidates should have contested as independent because of the High Court
order that barred nine of their parliamentary candidates from the December 9,
2023 by elections.
He stated CCC filed an appeal with the Supreme Court
against the December 7 High Court ruling, claiming the previous court order was
suspended until the Supreme Court made a decision.
“We have appealed against the judgement that barred our
candidates from the December 9 by elections and that appeal suspends the
banning of candidates pending determination of the Supreme Court,” Mkhwananzi
said.
“As it stands, that order is not in operation unless it is
determined at any other time before the elections.”
Mkhwananzi said this stance was a principled position
because CCC as sponsoring party, contested on August 23 and their members were
unlawfully recalled.
“This party is led by Advocate Nelson Chamisa, it has the
same signatories as it had when we went to the elections, it still has the same
signatories and same candidates,” said the CCC spokesperson.
The CCC spokesperson claimed should their Supreme Court
appeal go through, it meant a reversal of the processes that had taken place
such as the banning of their recalled members from by-elections.
“If it’s a court order as issued by the court, they are
bound to comply. That’s the whole purpose of going to court. If there is no
compliance that is another issue that can be dealt with at a different
platform. But we can’t jump the gun and deal with issues, which have not
materialised on the ground,” Mkhwananzi said.
“As far as we know,
if there is a judgement by the courts. it doesn’t matter the cost, it
doesn’t matter whatever. It should be complied with if we win that judgement at
the Supreme Court. Actually we went to court so we can reverse those recalls
because they are unlawful. That’s precisely what we are seeking the courts to
do.”
According to Zimbabwe’s constitution, CCC candidates who
filed as independents face recall if they campaign using the CCC party and
pledge allegiance to Chamisa, who is the CCC leader.
Section 129 (1) (l) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe states
that: “The seat of a Member of Parliament becomes vacant if the Member, not
having been a member of a political party when he or she was elected to
Parliament, becomes a member of a political party.”
Meanwhile, the recalled CCC candidates who also filed
nomination papers as CCC candidates risk being disqualified or having their
names removed from the ballot papers because they would be defying a High Court
order that said they should not run as CCC candies because they were expelled
as members of that party, thus their recalls. CITE
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