election candidates disqualified from filing nomination papers due to ‘banking system challenges’

By Sunday Times

Some aspiring presidential  candidates in Zimbabwe were disqualified from filing their nomination papers  after their applications were rejected by the electoral commission due to “banking system challenges”.

Presidential candidates have to pay $20,000 (about R372,000) to qualify to run in 2023 elections or  he equivalent in local currency, a nomination fees in Zimbabwean dollars ranking up to millions, a staggering  amount of  ZWL$138,531,528.

The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) told some candidates their nomination fees need to be paid in US dollars cash.

United Zimbabwe Alliance president Elisabeth Valerio told TimesLIVE her local currency nomination payment was rejected by the ZEC. The electoral commission wanted a payment $20,000 cash.

“I filed my papers with the nomination court on June 21as a presidential candidate. My application was approved but when we submitted the proof of payment which was bank stamped by our branch, the proof of payment was rejected. We submitted to the ZEC but they rejected our payment and said I would have to pay $20,000 cash before midnight June 21 although I had already submitted full payment in local currency,” Valerio said.

“Several of our MP candidates are affected in the same way and were rejected. Some were told the court could process US dollar payments as the local currency swipe machines were not working,” said Valerio.

In a turn of events, the ZEC attributed the failure to accept nomination fees in local currency to “challenges within the banking system”.

“The commission is callingpon all candidates and parties whose nomination papers had been submitted but had challenges with the commission’s point of sale machines and those who had submitted proof of payments but funds not reflecting in the ZEC’s account to approach the respective nominations courts wherein their papers were lodged and make the necessary payments or get confirmation of said payment no later than 5pm on June 22 2023,” said the electoral commission.

Zimbabwe is facing a shortage of US dollars. It has one of the highest inflation rates in the world and a weakening local currency.

Many businesses in the country are shunning the local currency.