Harare | The High Court has blocked exiled former Cabinet Minister Saviour Kasukuwere from running in this year’s Presidential elections on the basis that he has been absent from the nation for more than 18 months, as required by law.
Lovedale Mangwana’s lawyer, Lewis Uriri, responds to the High Court judgement that nullifies Kasukuwere’s candidature as a Presidential Candidate.
To qualify to run for the post of president or vice president, the constitution stipulates that a candidate should be a Zimbabwean citizen by birth or descent; should be above 40 years of age; should be ordinarily resident in the country; and should be a registered voter.
A former minister of local government and ZANU PF head of administration, Kasukuwere has been staying in South Africa since the November 2017 coup that ousted former president Robert Mugabe.
His decision to contest in the forthcoming elections has ruffled feathers in the ruling party where he still has a strong support base.
Kasukuwere planned to run as an independent against incumbent Emmerson Mnangagwa of ZANU PF and main opposition leader Nelson Chamisa of the Citizens Coalition for Change.
Kasukuwere’s spokesperson Ali Naka said they are not shaken by the latest development.
“We are not surprised, not shaken! This is just the beginning,” Naka wrote on microblogging site Twitter.
He said they were going to issue an official statement later on Wednesday.
“Fasten your seatbelt. Victory is certain.”
ZANU PF has argued that Kasukuwere is avoiding coming back to Zimbabwe because he has pending criminal cases.
