Exiled former Cabinet Minister Saviour Kasukuwere has been barred to contest in this year’s Presidential elections by the High Court on the grounds that he has been away from the country for more than 18 months as required by the law.
Advocate Lewis Uriri who represented Lovedale Mangwana comments on the High Court ruling nullifying Kasukuwere’s nomination as a Presidential Candidate.
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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.
