Charumbira's election under objection

THE Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec) has revealed that the election of Chief Fortune Charumbira as the deputy president of the National Council of Chiefs was under objection.

Charumbira, who has served two terms in the chief's council as president, was elected deputy president during the elections that were held on August 10, 2023.

Chief Khumalo Matshane, formerly the deputy president of the chiefs' council, was elected president of the council during the elections.

But in its report on the 2023 harmonised elections presented in Parliament last week, Zec said some "quotas" had reservations over Charumbira's election to the post after he had served for two terms as president in the same council.

Zec said there was a need to revisit the law under which the council of chiefs is constituted to address the concern.

"The election of the President and the deputy president of the Council of Chiefs saw the former Deputy president of the council being elevated to the post of President while the former president being elected as the deputy president," Zec said.

"While there is no explicit law prohibiting this, there seems to be some quotas who have expressed reservations on having one elected as a deputy president of the council of Chiefs after serving at its helm for two terms, as president."

Zec added: "There may be a need to look at the provision and consider its desirability or lack thereof going forward."

Election of chiefs to the Senate was conducted in all the eight non-metropolitan provinces on August 24, 2023, to elect two chiefs in each province to be members of the Senate.