In a major boost for the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC), the Supreme Court has overturned a controversial ruling that threatened to block 12 of the party’s candidates from contesting crucial parliamentary elections later this month.
A 3-judge bench led by Justice Tendai Uchena unanimously set aside an earlier ruling by the Bulawayo High Court that had barred the 12 CCC hopefuls and 4 others from running as MPs in the August 23 polls.
Reasons for the ruling are yet to be made public.
The reversal by the Supreme Court represents a major victory for Nelson Chamisa’s CCC, which claimed the original High Court ruling was politically motivated.
Political observers say blocking the candidates could have had a significant impact on CCC’s hopes for a breakthrough in parliamentary votes later this month.
The court fight reflects broader tensions in the tightly contested election race, with activists criticizing alleged partisan attacks against the rising opposition party.
