By Nkosikhona Dibiti
Zimbabweans are keen on a new Zimbabwe replete with opportunities and prosperity. Concerns on bread and butter issues prove pivotal in post-election. The mood of the citizenry is centred on economic transformation.
The ordinary Zimbabwean has taken an active role in the national discourse as evidenced by the Con-Court challenge issue being a topical discussion in the streets. The appetite for news and updates regarding the court processes demand is high. Social media has become a catalyst for grassroot engagement and an impromptu-cum-platform for the community to have their say.
On the 10th of August 2018, MDC ALLIANCE Presidential Candidate Adv Nelson Chamisa filed his petition with the Constitutional Court. In his court application, Chamisa said, “The lack of independence, transparency and accountability by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission was meant and did benefit the ruling party ZANU-PF. It is a common cause that Mnangagwa obtained access to the unique combination of voters’ ward details and cellphone numbers. The SMS’s were sent out to voters’ cellphones encouraging them to vote for ZANU PF among others”
The voters seem to be innocent victims of these electoral malpractices. The whirlwind that swept across Zimbabwe in the election campaigns leaves the voters as key sources of information regarding the elections. The citizens attended the rallies, got the SMSs, cast their vote, experienced out bursting of violence in various communities. On street corners every individual is talking about their experience.
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The contesting political leaders need to be observant of the voice of the people. It’s not about their contest in court. The people of Zimbabwe have a lot of say about this electoral stalemate.
The court needs to administer justice in an objective and non-partisan. The sensitivity of the matter goes beyond the battle of supremacy on the part of the lawyers. Dr Noah Manyika (Build Zimbabwe Presidential candidate) in a statement said, “we are not in a game trying to prove who has the best lawyer with the best of jargon in the applications. We have a serious crisis of electoral fraud. The figures are simply not tallying”.
The electoral administrators ZEC also issued their opposing papers citing technical irregularities in the application by Nelson Chamisa.
Apart from the court procedure mishaps, ZEC went on to submit 2 affidavits showing data errors in the Presidential results announced. The declared winner of the Presidential race was announced to have got 50.8% but the figures have been revised to 50.57% respectively.
The ZANU PF legal team also filed an answering affidavit says “it is noteworthy that the Applicant (Nelson Chamisa) sat in the Standing Rules and Orders of Parliament that interviewed and selected the Commissioners of ZEC”. ZANU PF is telling the court that the Applicant (Nelson Chamisa) must not complain about the ZEC output because he was part of the process of setting up ZEC.
The matter will be heard on the 22nd of August 2018 at the Constitutional Court.
