Zanu-PF candidate deny being a chief

ASPIRING Zanu-PF candidate for Shamva South Constituency, Bramwell Bushu, accused of breaching the Constitution by contesting for the seat on a ruling party ticket despite being a chief, has dismissed claims of being a traditional leader, saying he declined to take up the post when names were submitted to the Head of State for consideration.

Through his lawyer, Professor Lovemore Madhuku, Bushu told High Court judge Justice Amie Tsanga that since the death of his father in 2016, he had simply acted as chief alongside his other brothers but was never appointed a substantive chief, a position he personally declined to accept.

Madhuku said his client's argument had been placed before Justice Tsanga who ordered the MDC candidate, Leman Pwanyiwa, the applicant in the matter, to verify Bushu's claims before his application can be determined on merit.

"The position is that Bushu has never been appointed a substantive Chief for the area but was at one point an acting Chief. Since the death of his father in 2016, Bushu has been taking turns with his brothers to act as chief, but when the names for considering a substantive chief were submitted to the President for consideration, he declined to have his name submitted," Madhuku said.

"We made this point before the judge and challenged Pwanyiwa to disprove the fact and he was asked to go and verify it first before the matter can be determined and I am informed by his lawyers that they have since established that we were telling the truth. As a result we expect him to withdraw the application but if he decides otherwise, we will proceed to argue the matter."

Pwanyiwa had petitioned the court last week accusing Bushu of breaching the Constitution by contesting to represent Zanu-PF as its parliamentary candidate in Shamva South constituency in the forthcoming elections despite being a chief.

In the application, Pwanyiwa cited Bushu, Zanu-PF, the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec) and the National Council of chiefs as respondents.

"This is an application for an interdict against the first respondent (Bushu) from being a member of the second respondent (Zanu-PF) and from standing for election as a candidate for the national assembly elections for Shamva South constituency. The applicant (Pwanyiwa) also seeks to interdict to bar the third respondent (Zec) functionaries who will be deployed at the Nomination Court sitting at the Magistrates' Court Main Street Bindura, situated in Mashonaland Central Province from receiving and accepting the first respondent's nomination papers," Pwanyiwa had said.

The matter is still pending.