The case was set to be heard in Justice Bere’s chambers. The MDC-T filed the application following a directive from the Ministry of Local Government, Rural and Urban Development, Ignatius Chombo, instructing provincial and district administrators to ensure that persons elected as mayors and chairpersons of councils should be elected councillors.
The MDC-T has selected former Justice and Legal Affairs Deputy Minister, Obert Gutu, as nominee for the position of Mayor for Harare while National University of Science and Technology lecturer, Mandla Nyathi, has been picked as Mayor for Bulawayo.
The MDC-T’s Chitungwiza deputy spokesperson, Isaac Manyemba, has been nominated for Mayor of the dormitory town.
Chombo is on record saying he will block the MDC-T mayoral candidates on the grounds that their appointments was in violation of the law while the MDC-T contends that it is legal for mayors to be picked from outside elected councillors.
Chombo’s threats led to the MDC-T filing an urgent chamber application in the Electoral Court. The application cited Chombo and provincial administrators for Harare and Bulawayo as respondents.
The party however withdrew its application from the Electoral Court after it said it did not have jurisdiction over the matter prompting it to launch an urgent application with the High Court.
MDC-T spokesperson, who is representing the party in the case as well, Douglas Mwonzora, confirmed today’s development to The Zimbabwean.
“The judge refused to hear the case on the basis that t is not urgent. He refused to hear the merits of the case. We now await the decision of the MDC but it’s a matter that we should not give up on because it’s a very straightforward matter,” said Mwonzora.
Post published in: News