Several weeks ago Mavedzenge made a High Court application for ZEC to avail the electronic roll, which the commission failed to give to political parties, NGOs and individuals before and after the 2013 elections.
ZEC has since filed an opposing affidavit, arguing that Mavedzenge was supposed to approach the Electoral Court instead of the High Court, but the applicant insists that he used the correct channel as he is seeking to have his right to the roll as a citizen respected.
Prior to the opposing affidavit, ZEC had responded to a direct letter from Mavedzenge in which it stated that it was not in a position to grant his wish at that stage and would give him the roll if it became capacitated to do so.
“We regret to advise that, currently, the Commission is unable to accede to your request and all others of a similar nature. It will publicly notify all stakeholders once it is in a position to do so,” reads the ZEC letter of February 11 that Mavedzenge only received after making his High Court application:
The letter was signed by Rita Makarau, the ZEC chairperson. In his answering affidavit that followed the ZEC opposing papers, Mavedzenge argued that the letter acknowledged that he was entitled to the roll. “I…wish to state that Respondent’s letter…actually acknowledges my entitlement to the electronic copy of the National Voters’ Roll. In addition, the (letter) does not provide adequate reasons and therefore constitutes a clear violation of my constitutional right to administrative justice enshrined in Section 68 (2) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe,” reads the affidavit.
It remains a mystery why ZEC is failing to avail the electronic roll after all this time. Various stakeholders have dismissed its claim that it cannot retrieve it as its machines are broken down.
Post published in: News
It is the mob who change things in this world but the individual or a few individuals with a vision to see what needs to be done and with the courage and resolve to see the task through. Alfred Mavedzenge is one such individuals. MDC with all its party structure and good knows how many lawyers, engineers and other professionals were all bamboozles by ZEC and gave up.
The voters roll is the smoking gun in Zimbabwe’s rigged 2013 elections to have allowed Mugabe to get away with not releasing the voters roll would have been to allow him to get away with treason – because vote ring is treason!
It is heartening to note that Zimbabwe still has a few visionaries!