In
a
statement,
ZEC
Chief
Elections
Officer
Utloile
Silaigwana
confirmed
that
the
Supreme
Court’s
decision
upholds
the
High
Court’s
18
November
2024
judgment,
which
means
Tonderai
Mutasa
of
ZANU
PF
remains
the
duly
elected
councillor
for
the
ward.
Added
Silaigwana:
The
ruling
disqualified
the
independent
candidate’s
nomination
following
an
application
which
cited
Mambume
as
a
debtor
owing
the
local
authority
in
unpaid
bills
As
a
result
of
the
Supreme
Court
decision,
there
will
be
no
by-election
in
Ward
1
of
Victoria
Falls
Municipality
on
30
November
2024.The
other
by-elections
for
Ward
38
of
Makoni
Rural
District
Council
and
Ward
10
of
Bindura
Rural
District
Council
will
go
ahead
on
30
November
2024
as
scheduled.
Mambume
had
filed
an
appeal
at
the
Supreme
Court
challenging
the
High
Court’s
decision
to
bar
him
from
contesting
the
November
30
poll.
He
claimed
he
was
a
victim
of
a
“well-resourced
corrupt
cabal”
within
the
local
authority
seeking
to
remove
him
to
advance
their
interests.
The
High
Court
disqualified
Mambume
following
an
electoral
petition
by
Mutasa,
who
argued
that
Mambume
was
in
default
on
water
and
rates
payments
exceeding
US$17
000
for
over
120
days,
a
violation
of
the
Electoral
Act.
This
ruling
automatically
declared
Mutasa
the
duly
elected
councillor
for
Ward
1,
as
he
and
Mambume
were
the
only
candidates.
However,
Mambume,
represented
by
Tanaka
Law
Chambers,
challenged
the
ruling,
arguing
that
the
disqualification
was
orchestrated
by
“corrupt
officials”
in
the
Victoria
Falls
City
Council.
Post
published
in:
Featured