No government funding for all political parties yet

Zimbabwe’s highest court, the Constitutional Court, has reserved judgment in a case in which two opposition parties are seeking to bar President Emmerson Mnangagwa from announcing election dates until the Political Parties Financing Act is amended to accommodate all parties.

At the moment only parties which won at least 5 percent of the vote in the last elections are entitled to funding.

The Zimbabwe Development Party and the Voice of the People have taken the government to court to have the act repealed so that all parties can receive funding from the government and thus level the playing field.

Zimbabwe so far has 112 registered political parties.

Mnangagwa says the elections will be held in July and according to the constitution, the earliest the elections can be held is 23 July though the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission has also mentioned 21 July.

According to the constitution the earliest Mnangagwa can proclaim elections is 30 April which means the Constitutional Court will have to announce it verdict before that date.

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