Govt seeks to delay Harare elections

members marched in Glen View last Friday demanding fresh elections in Harare to replace the Sekesayi Makwavarara-led commission, which they accuse of running down the capital city. Similar demonstrations demanding elections are planned in the coming weeks in other high-density suburbs across Harare, according to CHRA. This is in response to the security dragnet cast across the city centre by security agents frantically trying to pre-empt any revolt.
Official sources said Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Patrick Chinamasa was crafting statutory instruments under the Presidential Powers Act that would be used to amend the Urban Councils Act and postpone the eagerly awaited mayoral and council elections in the capital.
Harare has been run by a government-appointed commission since 2004 after
the state fired the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) executive led by engineer Elias Mudzuri for mismanagement.
A political turncoat who was elected deputy mayor on an MDC ticket and later defected to the ruling Zanu (PF) party, the extravagance-loving Makwavarara heads the commission that has since governed the affairs of the city, Zimbabwe’s largest.
The High Court has ordered the Registrar-General’s Office to hold mayoral and council elections for Harare saying the re-appointment of commissions beyond nine months was illegal.
The unambiguous ruling was made after a court application by CHRA compelling the government to hold the six times-postponed elections.
Local Government Minister Ignatius Chombo has ignored the ruling warning that the government would explore other legal options “to ensure that the right thing is done”.
More recently Chombo said the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission was still redrawing ward boundaries.
According to the Urban Councils Act (Chapter 29:15) commissions can only be in office as a stopgap measure for a period of six months and a further extension of three months, if it is necessary before elections are held.
Official sources told The Zimbabwean this week that government legal experts were already working on a statutory instrument that could be used to postpone the mayoral and municipal elections.
Analysts say Mugabe is reluctant to have the Harare mayoral and municipal elections because the MDC would trounce Zanu (PF) and the result would adversely affect the morale of his supporters.
There are also fears that a new MDC executive would audit the extensive looting of resources at Town House by Chombo and Makwavarara, leading to a possible prosecution.
The statutory instrument to be used to postpone the Harare mayoral and municipal elections is likely to be issued soon with senior governing party officials saying the amendments would be passed before the House breaks for its Christmas recess.
Chitungwiza municipal elections that should have been held by now are also likely to be postponed under the proposed amendments to the Urban Councils Act.
The sources said the government would claim that the postponements were necessary for the Registrar General’s Office to thoroughly prepare for the rural district council elections. Chinamasa was unavailable for comment.