Gono bid for Manicaland senate thwarted

Former Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe Governor, Dr Gideon Gono, has been disqualified to fill the vacancy in the Senate for Manicaland province as he is not a resident of any wards in the province.

The Senate seat became vacant after the death of Cde Kumbirai Kangai after which Zanu PF Manicaland province recommended Dr Gono to fill the post.

In letter addressed to Zanu PF National Chairman Simon Khaya Moyo by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission dated September  15, 2014 and stamped on the 17th of the same month, ZEC said records available show that Dr Gono is not a registered voter in any of the wards in Manicaland province as he was only registered on December 5, 2013.

ZEC says the constitutional function to register and transfer voters vested in the Registrar General of Voters in accordance with provisions of Clause 6(2) of Part 3 of the Sixth Schedule to the constitution for the purposes of 31 July ceased when the voters roll for those elections closed on July 10, 2013.

Any purported transfer of a voter by the Registrar General after that date is of no force and effect and is constitutionally unsustainable.

ZEC further advises that the most practical way around the current difficulty would have been for Dr Gono to apply to the commission to transfer his vote from Harare to Buhera West.

In a telephone interview, Zanu PF spokesperson, Rugare Gumbo said he is not aware of the recent development.