LOSING MDC Alliance candidate for Chimanimani West Constituency, Canaan Matiashe has filed a petition at the High Court in Mutare challenging Zanu PF candidate Nokhutula Matsikenyeri’s narrow victory in the just-ended polls, where he alleged massive vote-buying and intimidation by the latter.
BY KENNETH NYANGANI
Matiashe, through his lawyer Chris Ndlovu, wants the court to nullify Matsikenyeri’s victory.
Matsikenyeri garnered 10 757 votes and Matiashe had 9 199 votes.
“The applicant intends to make and hereby present an election petition to the Electoral Court sitting at Mutare challenging the result of the 2018 House of Assembly election for Chimanimani West constituency heard as party of the 2018 harmonised elections,” read the petition.
“This petition is presented in terms of the section 167 of the Electoral Act chapter 2:13 for the order annexed to this petition,”
“The respondent and her agents and party Zanu PF engaged in corrupt practices in that they engaged in activities that unduly influenced voters to vote for her and intimidated voters to vote for her and that they unlawfully bribed voters to vote for her,” the petition read.
The petitioner claimed that some Zanu PF activists, sat within 300 metres from the polling stations, with a counter book containing the list of registered voters in the villages and their biometric voter registration slips’ serial numbers.
- Chamisa under fire over US$120K donation
- Mavhunga puts DeMbare into Chibuku quarterfinals
- Pension funds bet on Cabora Bassa oilfields
- Councils defy govt fire tender directive
Keep Reading
“The position of the activists — one named as Stewart Chiora — was such that every person would pass by him and he would accost the prospective voters or individuals going to the polling station and ask them to produce their particulars and he would in turn cross check these particulars in his book,” part of the petition reads.
“After the exercise he would remind the voters to vote wisely and vote for the Zanu PF,” part of the petition read.
The petition also indicated that the Matsikenyeri engaged in vote buying activities, including distribution of maize before the polls.
