Biti tackles Jonathan Moyo

via Bulawayo24 NEWS | Biti tackles Jonathan Moyo 13 July 2014 by Staff Reporter

MDC-T Renewal team leader Tendai Biti is expected to slug it out in the Supreme Court with Information, Media and Broadcasting Services minister Jonathan Moyo who is still challenging his failed bid to retain the Tsholotsho North parliamentary seat.

Moyo lost the July 31 polls to Roselyn Nkomo of MDC-T, but rejected the outcome citing alleged irregularities.

However, Bulawayo High Court judge Justice Martin Makonese sitting in the Electoral Court dismissed Moyo’s petition.

The minister who was appointed non constituency MP by President Robert Mugabe appealed against the ruling at the Supreme Court.

Nkomo’s lawyer Kucaca Phulu has reportedly roped in Biti, who is currently embroiled in a war of attrition with MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai for the control of the party’s MPs.

Nkomo’s husband Samuel Sipepa Nkomo is a leading figure in Biti’s renewal team. The hearing for the case has been set for July 27 in Bulawayo.

Justice Makonese ruled in favour of Nkomo after noting that Moyo’s supporting affidavits in the case contained vague and general complaints about the conduct of the poll.

Moyo, who is a Zanu PF politburo member, had lodged a complaint with the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) soon after election results were announced in August last year.

He sought a recount of the votes citing numerous alleged anomalies in the process and subsequently filed a petition against ZEC and Nkomo.

But Moyo withdrew his petition against all other respondents and focused on challenging Nkomo’s victory.

According to affidavits by Moyo’s polling agents that were attached to his petition, some presiding officers allegedly conducted the counting process in the absence of the polling agents.

Moyo alleged that there were a lot of irregularities in wards one to nine as well as Ward 21, and sought nullification or a rerun within 90 days from the day of determination by the Electoral Court.