The recalled Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) legislators filed their nomination papers a day before the sitting of the Nomination Court on Tuesday, reportedly as a strategy to counter any interference from state agents.
In Bulawayo, all five parliamentary candidates and eight local authority candidates handed in their papers on Monday.
They had all paid their nomination fees before lunchtime on Tuesday.
“We have successfully filed our papers for our five CCC candidates. We also succeeded in paying for our candidates, so they are ready to go on the ground and start campaigning for our party,” said Sthabile Mlilo, one of the signatories who signed the nomination papers on behalf of party leader, Nelson Chamisa.
These five candidates who are running for their constituency seats again are
Desmond Makaza for Mzilikazi, Eric Gono for Lobengula/ Magwegwe, Nichola Watson for Bulawayo South, Obert Manduna for Nketa and Pashor Raphael Sibanda for Cowdray Park.
Former Ward 9 Councillor and Bulawayo deputy mayor Donaldson Mabuto said Tshabangu was an “illegitimate child” who could not dictate how the party should be run.
“We have an identity, we have a father and we still stand where we stood. We will remain Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC),” he said.
Asked what would happen if Tshabangu fielded his candidates, Mabuto said, “it’s fine, the citizens know the leaders they voted for and they will still vote for those leaders”.
Other candidates who successfully filed their papers include Albert Tawanda Mavhunga, Rajesh Modi, Tamamba Dzingai and Menziwa Dube who are representing Zanu PF.
