Staff Reporter
Former cabinet minister Saviour Kasukuwere is now out of the presidential race after the supreme court upheld a high court decision barring him from contesting for the country’s top office.
A bench of three Supreme Court judges yesterday ruled that the appeal filed by the independent residential candidate “lacked merit”.
“We carefully considered the evidence and oral submissions by both counsels. Court is of view the appeal lacks merit. Appeal be and is hereby dismissed,” read the court ruling in part.
The judges did not give reasons for dismissing the appeal by Kasukuwere who, through his legal team, had argued that the high court had misdirected itself when it found that his nomination as a presidential candidate was not above board.
Kasukuwere had approached the Supreme Court to challenge his barring from running for presidency by High Court judge David Mangota, who ruled that the exiled politician had stayed outside the borders of Zimbabwe for longer than 18 months and therefore was not ordinarily resident in the country, which by law meant he could not stand as a candidate.
Responding the supreme court ruling, Kasukuwere’s chief election agent Jacqueline Sande said they are going to appeal at the Constitutional Court.
“The legal team has been instructed to approach the constitutional court so that it can review this decision”, she said.
Several days ago, Kasukuwere wrote to the SADC chairperson and DRC President Felix Tshisekedi protesting his ban which he attributed to incumbent president Emmerson Mnangagwa bullying of political opponents in the run-up to the elections.
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