AN aspiring opposition party legislator has petitioned the High Court seeking an order to stop a traditional leader from contesting the impending 2018 general elections on a ZANU PF party ticket.
Leman Pwanyiwa, an MDC-T party member filed an urgent chamber application in the High Court on Friday 01 June 2018 seeking to bar Chief Bramwell Bushu from participating in the harmonised elections scheduled for Monday 30 July 2018 as a candidate of ZANU PF party.
In his application filed by Noble Chinhanu of Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, Pwanyiwa argued that by contesting in the just ended ZANU PF party primary elections and by also seeking to contest as a legislator for ZANU PF in the parliamentary elections for Shamva South constituency scheduled for next month, Chief Bushu violated the Constitution and his bid to contest the elections is unconstitutional. Pwanyiwa added that Chief Bushu’s actions infringe on his rights together with those of his MDC-T party supporters to free and fair elections.
Pwanyiwa argued that he wants to be served by traditional leaders who do not further the agenda of any political party as provided in the Constitution.
The aspiring opposition legislator added that by his conduct, Chief Bushu acted in a partisan manner, which will further the interests of ZANU PF party or its cause.
Pwanyiwa argued that the High Court recently ruled that the involvement of traditional leaders in partisan politics and declaration of allegiance to ZANU PF party is a breach of the right to free and fair elections as enshrined in section 67 of the Constitution.
Pwanyiwa wants ZANU PF party to be ordered to stop forthwith from contravening some provisions of the Constitution that entrench the non-partisan nature of traditional leadership in Zimbabwe and wants the ruling party to be ordered to immediately remove Chief Bushu as its National Assembly candidate for Shamva South constituency for the 30 July general elections.
The aspiring MDC-T legislator wants Chief Bushu to be ordered to discontinue his membership in ZANU PF party or any other political party in accordance with section 281(2)(a) of the Constitution.
Pwanyiwa also wants the functionaries of the National Council of Chiefs, who will be deployed at the Nomination Court sitting at Bindura Magistrates Court to be barred from receiving and accepting Chief Bushu’s nomination papers seeking to contest the Shamva South parliamentary elections.
