THE High Court in Harare has set down for 8am on Sunday morning main opposition CCC’s urgent High Court chamber application filed by lawyer Agency Gumbo to overturn the police ban of the party’s critical launch campaign rally in Bindura today.
This comes as the case becomes complicated after the Bindura municipality wrote to CCC, saying Chipadze Stadium is currently undergoing renovations and cannot be used for the rally.
However, the original CCC police application said it wanted the rally to be held at Brockdale Pfugari Open Space in Bindura.
This had added to the confusion.
The move to hear the case a few hours before the rally disrupts and undermines the CCC’s planning and campaign strategy. Police are at war with CCC as they arbitrarily ban its rallies around the country to prevent it from campaigning, while the ruling Zanu PF is given a free rein to canvass for votes, including changing venues at the eleventh hour. Police’s targeted actions are unconstitutional and unlawful, lawyers say.
This further skews the already uneven electoral playing field, which is effectively part of the authorities’ manipulation and rigging of the elections.
The CCC has filed an urgent High Court chamber application earky on Saturday challenging yet another police ban of its key Bindura launch rally at Brockdale Pfugari Open Space in Bindura.
Gumbo told The NewsHawks earlier they were waiting for the judge to set down the matter and give them time for the hearing as he was still looking into the papers.
“We filed an urgent High Court chamber for an appeal over the matter and we are waiting for the judge to set down the case and give us time. We would prefer that the case is dealt with tonight since the rally is tomorrow rather than waiting until tomorrow,” Gumbo said. “That’s the situation at the moment.” — STAFF WRITER.
