By Staff writer
THE by-election set for today will go ahead without the 23 Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC)candidates after the High Court dismissed their appeal on Friday.
Justice Pisirayi Kwenda, who presided over the case a fortnight ago, yesterday ruled in favour of CCC interim secretary Sengezo Tshabangu once again, and the election will go ahead despite the 23 candidates’ appeal to the Supreme court.
“After reading documents filed of record, it is ordered that the application be and is hereby granted,” Justice Kwenda said.
“The applicants be and are hereby granted leave to execute this court’s judgment in case No HCH 197/24 pending appeal in case No SC44/24.”
The ruling means at least six constituencies will have by elections, these include Mkoba North,Chegutu West, Seke, Pelandaba,Goromonzi South and Zimba East.
The barring of Amos Chibaya from contesting in the by-election under the CCC banner has left ZANU PF ‘s Edgar Ncube and Peter Tayiya of the DOP as the only candidates in Mkoba North.
Speaking earlier this week ZANU PF Gweru district spokesperson Victor Maride sounded confident of victory.
“Our hope is that we have the right candidate who will assist the residents of Mkoba North who is development minded. Some of the people we have seen going to parliament are job seekers who have been self centered and not development minded,” Maride said.
“Previous office bearers were not working in liaison with the central government. Our hope is that if we win this seat it will bring consistency in terms of ideologies and that will work well for the development of the constituency.”
