Mwonzora application to invalidate Delimitation Report raises a stink

Movement for Democratic Change leader Douglas Mwonzora has filed an urgent application calling on the Constitutional Court to invalidate the Delimitation Report which will be used in this year’s harmonised elections.

He is seeking an order to compel the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission to re-do the Delimitation exercise so that it complies with the law.  The application also seeks to delay the proclamation of election dates until a lawful and valid Delimitation Report has been tabled.

Zimbabwe has not announced an election date yet but it should hold the next elections before 26 August this year.

The delimitation report was gazetted on 20 February after intense debate in Parliament as well as within the civic society.

Citizens Coalition for Change spokesman Fadzayi Mahere rubbished Mwonzora’s court application asking what kind of politician was afraid of elections.

“What kind of politician anokwata maelection?” she asked.

Hopewell Chin’ono said this was the work of ZANU-PF because it was terrified of the presidential elections.

“I have told Zimbabweans that ZANUPF is terrified of the Presidential election,” he tweeted. “Mwonzora is a tortoise on a lamp post, how did it get there? Someone has put it there with the hope of abusing the judiciary system once more with predetermined cases! These guys are not smart.”

President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s spokesman George Charamba said this was Mwonzora’s way to delay elections.

“This is @DMwonzora trying to pull a @mawarirej. By challenging the recently gazetted Delimitation Report Mwonzora is attempting to delay or stop upcoming harmonised elections. Really Dougie? Anyway, without prejudice to the case, if by any chance he wins, can we say he is wrong..”

Mwonzora said he was not seeking to avoid elections at all. He was simply trying to make sure that Zimbabwe holds free, fair, credible and undisputed elections.

“Contrary to what some people have said, this application is not meant to avoid elections at all. It seeks that elections must be held using a correct and valid Delimitation Report,” he said.

“This application is in the best interests of Zimbabwe. It is in the best interests of our great nation that for once we hold truly free, fair, credible and undisputed elections. This will unlock unfathomable and vast fortunes for our country and its people.”

Mwonzora got the support of exiled politician, Jonathan Moyo, who described the application as a bold move.

“The ConCourt move by Senator @DMwonzora is not only bold but it is also notably his first major public intervention – as an opposition leader – with far-reaching implications on the conduct of elections, the interpretation of electoral law, and praxis politics in Zimbabwe!” Moyo said.

“In a predictable reaction to @DMwonzora’s court applications, @CCCZimbabwe’s @advocatemahere rhetorically quipped: ‘What kind of politician is afraid of election?’ It is infantile to say challenging a #ZEC wrong in the ConCourt is ‘electoral fear’!…

“Senator @DMwonzora should be commended for doing the minimum expected of an opposition leader. It’s in the national interest that the legality of @ZECzim’s final delimitation report is tested in the ConCourt before the Aug polls.”

Moyo posted the 1 202-page lawsuit on his twitter handle.

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