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The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission has been dragged to court by disgruntled presidential and parliamentary candidates who are challenging the highcandidatesa nominations fees.
The candidates are challenging the constitutionality of the fees which have been set at a staggering US$20 000 for presidential candidates to contest in the up coming general elections next year.
Speaking to ENCA,human rights lawyer Obey Shava said that the high fees were beyond tyhe reach of many Zimbabweans
My clients felt that the fees were too exorbitant,they were too prohibitive,they were violating their political right,the right to stand for political office so we then initiated the processes in which we are dragging ZEC to court challenging the constitutionality of these nomination fees which violate the people’s political rights,” he said.
The fees have drawn criticism with the ZANU PF National Spokesperson Chris Mutsvangwa justifying the move saying it was meant to flush out chancers who want to benefit rather than adding value to the processes.
“We want to remove the nuisance candidates who just clutter the candidates roll saying I want to be president.we have 23-25 people all asking to be president and then when we go to elections,even his wife can’t vote for him,”Mutsvangwa said.
The government introduced the gazetted statutory instrument 144 of 2022, one will need to fork out USD$20 000 to contest for presidency, USD$1 000 to run for member of parliament and USD$200 for a council seat or equivalent in local currency
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