What goes around, comes around: Why a citizen wants Zanu PF candidate struck off the ballot

By News24.com

• Innocent Ncube said the ruling used to bar Citizens Coalition for Change  candidates should apply to Zanu-PF’s Rajeshkumari Modi.
• The courts dismissed an appeal by 87 MDC parliamentary candidates.
• Some argue the matter of the barred 12 candidates should be argued within legal confines to expose the ruling’s flaws to the world.

The Supreme Court in Zimbabwe will in Bulawayo on Wednesday hear a challenge from the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) regarding its 12 candidates, who were barred from taking part in parliamentary elections due to the late submission of nomination papers.

But, in a sudden twist, an individual filed a case against a Zanu-PF candidate, Rajeshkumari Modi, the sitting MP for Bulawayo South, for the same violation as the CCC’s candidates.

According to the same Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) register, Modi, who is also the deputy minister of commerce and international trade, submitted his nomination papers at 16:20, after the 16:00 deadline.

The applicant, Innocent Ncube, is demanding that Modi be struck off the ballot paper.

At the July 2018 polls, Modi was a lucky beneficiary of the double candidate submission by the Movement for Democratic Change Alliance (MDC A), which has now evolved into the CCC.

At the polls, Modi, of Zanu-PF, won with 5 752 votes against Muvirimi Francis Mangwendeza and Kunashe Muchemwa, who received 4 155 and 2 249 votes respectively, splitting the MDC A vote, which would have upstaged Modi.

While some see this as a “law of unintended consequences”, from which some strongly suspect there are other Zanu-PF candidates in other parts of the country allegedly facing similar circumstances, David Colart, of the CCC, has a different view.

In a tweet late on Tuesday, he argued that it was political machinations, but “it’s necessary to show observers how ludicrous the original application and judgment are”.

But it’s not just the CCC who has court issues.

The Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), led by Douglas Mwonzora, had its court appeal for 87 of its parliamentary candidates dismissed on Monday.

The MDC argued that its candidates were duly vetted by the ZEC, but payment of their nomination fees, of about R18 000 per candidate, was not paid on time because ZEC’s bank had network challenges.

Thus, MDC will go to the polls with 24 candidates contesting in constituencies, besides proportional representation seats.

In a statement, the party said it was contesting an unfair election.

“Our participation in this election is clearly under serious protest. The ZEC and government have constricted democratic space in Zimbabwe,” the party said.