Douglas Mwonzora, the MDC-T spokesman, told SW Radio Africa that the matter will be heard by Chief Justice Godfrey Chidyausiku over the weekend.
He said the petition will be heard 2pm Saturday “and everyone with papers to file should do so by Friday”.
Meanwhile in a related matter, the High Court was by Wednesday evening still hearing two other petitions lodged by Tsvangirai, who wants the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) to release voting material pertaining to the presidential election.
The MDC-T leader argues that the election material will provide crucial evidence that the July 31st electoral process was fraught with irregularities that were designed to boost ZANU PF’s chances of winning the poll.
However, Mwonzora said the attorney-general was opposing the release of the material, which includes sealed ballot papers and an electronic voters’ roll. “This opposition proves to us that the State indeed has a lot to hide,” he said.
Tsvangirai’s two petitions are being heard together with another, from outgoing MDC-T Mt Pleasant MP Jameson Timba. Timba is also requesting access to all the election material for his constituency, following widespread irregularities.
“In Timba’s case, it has since emerged also that about 5,000 police officers are registered in one address, Malborough police station, and a further 7,000 registered as resident at army barracks KG6. And this is just one of the anomalies that we are challenging,” Mwonzora added.
Justice Chinembiri Bhunu is hearing all petitions for the release of poll documents, and concerns have been raised over whether the MDC-T will receive a fair hearing from the judge whose allegiance to ZANU PF is well-known. Bhunu is also the same judge in the case in which 29 MDC-T activists are charged with the murder of a Glen View police inspector. The case has dragged on for two years. One of the accused, Rebecca Mafukeni who was held in solitary confinement, died on Monday, while awaiting a ruling.
Tsvangirai lost the election after gaining 34% of the vote against President Robert Mugabe’s 61%, in an electoral process roundly condemned as farcical and fraudulent. His party wants the poll outcome nullified and an audit carried out on the voters’ roll. – SW Radio Africa
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