News / National
Presidential candidate seeks ZDF disbandment, delayed polls
12 Apr 2018 at 07:11hrs | Views
Little-known Complete Knock Down of Establishment (CKD) party leader, Gastaff Kativu has approached the High Court, seeking several court orders among them, an extension of the election date, the disbandment of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces (ZDF) and another compelling both the State and private media to give equal coverage to all political parties contesting in this year's general elections.
Kativu filed his urgent High Court application yesterday, citing the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec) and the ZDF as co-respondents, adding the country's Constitution was usurped in November last year when President Emmerson Mnangagwa assumed power with the backing of the military.
"Mnangagwa, having ascended to the Presidency of Zimbabwe on the basis of military events, movements or deployments and not by popular vote, lacks the mandate or authority to call for elections and or perform the electoral duties of a president as dictated by the Constitution relating to the role of President in elections," he said.
"And as such, the office of the President of Zimbabwe is vacant and needless for this application to request the court to nullify the 'presidency' of Mnangagwa for the reason that was given on November 24, 2017, and his occupation of the President's office is of no consequence. There is a power vacuum in the country, which must be addressed by all-inclusive transitional authority with the mandate or authority to run the country, restructure the first respendent (Zec) and, thereafter, at an agreeable date, call for elections or invite the United Nations (UN) to administer elections for Zimbabwe."
Kativu also challenged Zec chairperson, Priscilla Chigumba's appointment, arguing that the appointing authority, Mnangagwa, was not properly in office.
"There is indisputable link or affiliation of the ZDF to Zanu-PF party, which originated from the liberation struggle, which must be annulled by the second respondent (ZDF) for the reason that ZDF is a national army and not a Zanu-PF party's political militia.
"And if the ZDF cannot be de-linked or de-affiliated from Zanu-PF party, then the current politically-biased ZDF must be demobilised or disbanded to pave way for a new and neutral ZDF without any political bias, which shall be made to swear to defend all political movements in the country as part and parcel of Zimbabwe," the presidential candidate said.
Kativu further said basing on the biometric voter registration statistics that were provided by Zec, Zanu-PF had an electoral advantage and was more likely to win this year's elections, owing to unequal and unfair voter registration patterns.
The matter is yet to be set down for hearing.
Kativu filed his urgent High Court application yesterday, citing the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec) and the ZDF as co-respondents, adding the country's Constitution was usurped in November last year when President Emmerson Mnangagwa assumed power with the backing of the military.
"Mnangagwa, having ascended to the Presidency of Zimbabwe on the basis of military events, movements or deployments and not by popular vote, lacks the mandate or authority to call for elections and or perform the electoral duties of a president as dictated by the Constitution relating to the role of President in elections," he said.
"And as such, the office of the President of Zimbabwe is vacant and needless for this application to request the court to nullify the 'presidency' of Mnangagwa for the reason that was given on November 24, 2017, and his occupation of the President's office is of no consequence. There is a power vacuum in the country, which must be addressed by all-inclusive transitional authority with the mandate or authority to run the country, restructure the first respendent (Zec) and, thereafter, at an agreeable date, call for elections or invite the United Nations (UN) to administer elections for Zimbabwe."
Kativu also challenged Zec chairperson, Priscilla Chigumba's appointment, arguing that the appointing authority, Mnangagwa, was not properly in office.
"There is indisputable link or affiliation of the ZDF to Zanu-PF party, which originated from the liberation struggle, which must be annulled by the second respondent (ZDF) for the reason that ZDF is a national army and not a Zanu-PF party's political militia.
"And if the ZDF cannot be de-linked or de-affiliated from Zanu-PF party, then the current politically-biased ZDF must be demobilised or disbanded to pave way for a new and neutral ZDF without any political bias, which shall be made to swear to defend all political movements in the country as part and parcel of Zimbabwe," the presidential candidate said.
Kativu further said basing on the biometric voter registration statistics that were provided by Zec, Zanu-PF had an electoral advantage and was more likely to win this year's elections, owing to unequal and unfair voter registration patterns.
The matter is yet to be set down for hearing.
Source - newsday
