Bulawayo East Voters Vow To Block Khupe Nomination

Some residents in Bulawayo East constituency have expressed outrage over the nomination of MDC-T interim leader Thokozani Khupe to replace MDC Alliance national chairperson Thabitha Khumalo as the National House of Assembly Women Proportional Representative.

An emergency meeting was held on Sunday in Mahatshula where the voters resolved to block Khupe from replacing Khumalo. Gilbert Sibanda, who is spearheading the objection process, had this to say:

As Bulawayo East voters, we are saying during the July 2018 harmonised elections, we overwhelmingly voted for the MDC Alliance led by Nelson Chamisa.

Our constituency and our votes contributed to the cumulative provincial votes which formed the basis for the allocation of the proportional representative according to the Electoral Act.

ZEC has a duty to respect our choices and should not allow the MDC-T to usurp our rights to choose our preferred representatives.

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Failure to abide by this duty is a clear infringement of our rights of association as spelt out in Section 58 of the Constitution.

Last week the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) gazetted that Khupe and other MDC-T officials were nominees set to fill in seats in the National Assembly and Senate that fell vacant following the expulsion from Parliament of MDC Alliance legislators by her party.

ZEC chairperson Justice Priscilla Chigumba then went on to invite voters with objections to lodge them with her office before the nominations are confirmed.

More: NewZimbabwe.com