One of the three former MPs who successfully challenged President Robert Mugabe and last week won a Supreme Court order compelling the Zanu PF leader to announce a by-election date for the three vacant seats in Matabeleland by August 30 this year, has backtracked saying he would rather have the polls combined with the forthcoming general elections.
Former Bulilima East MP Norman Mpofu told NewsDay to have the elections now would overburden the fiscus.
Mpofu and his colleagues Abednico Bhebhe (Nkayi South) and Njabuliso Mguni (Lupane East) had approached the courts after Mugabe refused to call for elections in their constituencies left vacant following their dismissal from the Welshman Ncube-led MDC.
“I personally applaud the Supreme Court decision last week on our case,” Mpofu said.
“From an economic viewpoint, holding the by-elections now would be financially draining. Therefore my view is, our elections (by-elections) should be combined with general elections.”
Asked whether he would stand in the elections, Mpofu said he had always been ready.
“We have never stopped mobilising people for elections, we are ever ready,” he said.
Contacted for comment, Mguni insisted the by-elections should be held in accordance with the Supreme Court ruling while Bhebhe was unreachable on his mobile phone.
