Court bars Zanu PF members from harassing rival supporters

By Tendai Kamhungira

The High Court yesterday barred Zanu PF members from intimidating supporters of Murewa South constituency independent parliamentary candidate Noah Mangondo ahead of the harmonised elections.

High Court judge Owen Tagu granted the interim order on Tuesday.

Mangondo is a former Zanu PF central committee member who is squaring off with Zanu PF provincial chairperson Joel Biggie Matiza for the Murewa South parliamentary seat.

Mangondo and three of his supporters Tawanda Mujuru, Ambrose Marumisa and Reginald Mukarakate filed an urgent application seeking an order compelling Zanu PF supporters to take effective measures to prevent its agents from engaging in any activity that causes intimidation and threats to the aspiring MP and any of his supporters.

“Respondents are hereby interdicted from threatening to withhold from applicants presidential inputs assistance they are entitled to and interdicted from preventing first applicant (Mangondo) from freely campaigning,” Tagu said.

In his urgent chamber application, Mangondo, who was represented by the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR), argued that Zanu PF supporters in Murewa South constituency were intimidating and threatening his supporters in a bid to prevent them from making their political choices as espoused by the Constitution.

Mangondo also argued that his supporters were being denied access to some presidential agricultural inputs because they were backing him.

He said his supporters have a right to receive the inputs without the threat of bodily harm or threat of deprivation on the basis of their political affiliation. –DailyNews