News / National
Zec delimitation report challenger hounded
09 Jan 2023 at 07:01hrs | Views
A Zanu-PF activist and former Zicosu president Tonderai Chidawa, who last week challenged the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec) preliminary delimitation report, says he is being hounded by suspected State security agents.
Chidawa, through his lawyers Madhuku Legal Practitioners, has claimed that Zec chairperson Justice Priscilla Chigumba and her deputy Rodney Simukai Kiwa hijacked the preliminary report and that other commissioners were not consulted.
Yesterday, through an audio that he confirmed was his, Chidawa said State security agents have threatened to arrest him.
"Right now my flat is surrounded by Central Intelligence Organisation agents and one calling himself Mwazha. They are asking me why I am challenging Zec," Chidawa is heard saying in the audio.
The delimitation report tabled in Parliament on Friday last week continues to face headwinds after Chidawa filed an application to the Speaker of Parliament Jacob Mudenda describing the draft as an act of the chairperson of the Commission and her deputy.
Chidawa, who is basing his argument on the fact that seven Zimbabwe electoral commission commissioners reportedly authored a proposal to President Emmerson Mnangagwa to have the report set aside due to various flaws, has threatened to take the matter to court if Parliament does not abide by its constitutional obligation.
Through his lawyers Madhuku Legal Practitioners, Chidawa penned a three-page letter addressed to Mudenda demanding that before the closing of business today Parliament should establish whether the preliminary delimitation report was an act of Zec or not.
According to the letter dated January 7 bearing Parliament's official stamp as an acknowledgement of receipt, Chidawa intends to approach the courts for appropriate relief, on an urgent basis, should Parliament fail to fulfil its constitutional obligation.
Chidawa alleges that the delimitation report falls short of the constitutional prescriptions that it must be an act of Zec and not individuals.
Chidawa is said to have a document signed by seven Zec Commissioners who claim they were not part of the preliminary delimitation report.
Chidawa also argues that it is Parliament and not the President, that has the constitutional obligation to ensure that only Zec conducts a delimitation ofwards and constituencies and submit a preliminary report to the President.
Efforts to obtain a comment from Zec spokesperson Jasper Mangwana were fruitless as he did not pick up calls nor respond to questions sent to him.
Chidawa, through his lawyers Madhuku Legal Practitioners, has claimed that Zec chairperson Justice Priscilla Chigumba and her deputy Rodney Simukai Kiwa hijacked the preliminary report and that other commissioners were not consulted.
Yesterday, through an audio that he confirmed was his, Chidawa said State security agents have threatened to arrest him.
"Right now my flat is surrounded by Central Intelligence Organisation agents and one calling himself Mwazha. They are asking me why I am challenging Zec," Chidawa is heard saying in the audio.
The delimitation report tabled in Parliament on Friday last week continues to face headwinds after Chidawa filed an application to the Speaker of Parliament Jacob Mudenda describing the draft as an act of the chairperson of the Commission and her deputy.
Chidawa, who is basing his argument on the fact that seven Zimbabwe electoral commission commissioners reportedly authored a proposal to President Emmerson Mnangagwa to have the report set aside due to various flaws, has threatened to take the matter to court if Parliament does not abide by its constitutional obligation.
According to the letter dated January 7 bearing Parliament's official stamp as an acknowledgement of receipt, Chidawa intends to approach the courts for appropriate relief, on an urgent basis, should Parliament fail to fulfil its constitutional obligation.
Chidawa alleges that the delimitation report falls short of the constitutional prescriptions that it must be an act of Zec and not individuals.
Chidawa is said to have a document signed by seven Zec Commissioners who claim they were not part of the preliminary delimitation report.
Chidawa also argues that it is Parliament and not the President, that has the constitutional obligation to ensure that only Zec conducts a delimitation ofwards and constituencies and submit a preliminary report to the President.
Efforts to obtain a comment from Zec spokesperson Jasper Mangwana were fruitless as he did not pick up calls nor respond to questions sent to him.
Source - Newsday Zimbabwe
