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Judge reserves ruling on Mugabe by-election challenge
Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR)
April 04, 2013

High Court Judge President, Justice George Chiweshe on Thursday 4 April 2013 reserved ruling to Friday 5 April 2013 in the matter in which President Robert Mugabe is seeking to be excused from complying with a court order that compels him to proclaim dates for three Matebeleland by-elections by end of March.

The Judge President reserved his ruling after hearing submissions from President Mugabe's lawyer, Prince Machaya, the Deputy Attorney General and Advocate Thabani Mpofu and Tawanda Zhuwarara, the attorneys representing three legislators, Abednico Bhebhe, Njabuliso Mguni and Norman Mpofu, who want their vacant constituencies filled through by-elections in their constituencies.

Last month, President Mugabe filed an urgent chamber application in the High Court seeking to be excused from complying with a court order that forces him to proclaim dates for three Matebeleland by-elections by end of March. The 31 March deadline was set by Justice Chiweshe in October last year at the request of President Mugabe, who had said he would call for general elections by end of March. But he now wants more time to proclaim the dates for harmonized elections on or before 29 June 2013.

But the three legislators want Mugabe to comply with the court order by gazetting dates for the by-elections in their constituencies which have been deprived of parliamentary representation.

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