HARARE – Zanu PF has threatened to go to court to seek the disqualification of 15 aspiring Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) parliamentarians for allegedly filing their nomination papers outside the timeframes prescribed by the law.

The nomination court sat June 21 to accept papers from aspiring candidates but the process spilled into the next day after some candidates had failed to file their papers due to a combination of factors.

The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) sat the next day to accommodate some of those who had failed to file their papers.

In a statement issued by party acting secretary for legal affairs Patrick Chinamasa, Zanu PF found everything wrong with the court’s decision to allow filing of papers well beyond 4pm.

Zanu PF is arguing that it is illegal for ZEC to extend the sitting of the Nomination Court to accommodate candidates, let alone allow them next day.

According to Zanu PF, the candidates who failed to meet the 4pm deadline are Surrender Kapoikulu of Bulawayo Central constituency, Minenhle Ntandoyenkosi Gumede (Bulawayo North), Nicola Jane Watson (Bulawayo South), Pashor Raphel Sibanda (Cowdray Park), Collins Descent Bajila (Emakhandeni-Luveve) and Dingilizwe Tshuma (Entumbane-Njube).

The other candidates are Prince Dube (Entumbane Njube), Dereck Gono (Lobengula-Magwegwe), Desmond Makaza (Mpopoma-Mzilikazi), Obert Manduna (Nketa), Desire Moyo (Nkulumane), Sineni Moyo (Pelandaba-Tshabalala), Gift Ostallos Siziba (Pelandaba Tshabalala), Sichelesile Mahlangu (Pumula) and Albert Mhlanga (Pumula).

Chinamasa said according to the law, ZEC cannot accept nomination papers or payments after the deadline.

The former justice minister said the mentioned 15 candidates were not in the Nomination Court with signed nomination papers and required fees by the time the Nomination Court closed at 4pm on June 21 when the electoral law requires them to be present.

“In short the CCC candidates referred to above were not in court with signed nomination papers and nomination fee by the time the Nomination Court closed at 4pm on 21 June 2023.

“As the above will show, the Nomination Court sat on 22 June 2023 again in contravention of section 46 (7) and (8) of the Electoral Act,” read the statement.

“The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission had no legal right to accept the nominations referred to from candidates who were not within the court by 4pm on 21 June 2023.

“Further the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission had no legal right to sit as a Nomination Court on 22 June 2023 to receive and accept nomination papers from CCC candidates referred to above, payment from a CCC Official who was said to be still in Harare as at 4pm on 21 June 2023.

“The law is “a ass” and must be obeyed and complied with.

“Accordingly, ZANU PF has directed that litigation be instituted urgently for the nullification of the nomination of the CCC candidates mentioned above and whose papers were submitted out of time in contravention of Section 46 (7) and (8) of the Electoral Act (Chapter 2:13).”

CCC spokesperson Fadzayi Mahere however argues that CCC filed its nominees for all 210 constituencies within the time limits prescribed by the law.

“The only illegality that pervades the nomination court process is the forged and fraudulent double candidates.

“Zanu PF is terrified but they won’t succeed,” she posted on her Twitter account.