GWERU —
A High Court judge has allowed former MDC-T members to use the open palm symbol in the forthcoming elections following an application by Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai’s party to block them from using it.
Justice Chinembiri Bhunu made the ruling in Harare Thursday after the Tsvangirai led MDC had approached the court seeking an order to bar seven former party members from using the open palm symbol.
The seven, who successfully filed their nomination papers to contest in the forthcoming elections as independents, are all former Gweru councilors and include former mayor Tedius Chimombe and his former deputy, Taurai Demo.
Six of the seven were expelled from the party following corruption allegations. Another former councilor, Trainos Makumbe, decided to stand as an independent candidate after losing in the party primaries.
All the seven except Chimombe are contesting to be councilors while the former mayor is eyeing the Gweru urban parliamentary constituency.
Demo told VOA Studio 7 Justice Bhunu dismissed the MDC-T’s application saying only individuals who feel aggrieved - and not the party - could approach the court seeking such an order.
The difference between the MDC-T's open palm symbol and that being used by the former councilors is that the party’s symbol is upright and is in black and white while the one being used by the former councillors is slanted and is red in colour and bears mug-shots of the contesting individuals.
VOA failed to get an official comment from Mt. Tsvangirai’s party.
The seven so-called rebels were representing themselves while attorney Takura Gumbo of Atherstone and Cook represented the MDC-T.
Justice Chinembiri Bhunu made the ruling in Harare Thursday after the Tsvangirai led MDC had approached the court seeking an order to bar seven former party members from using the open palm symbol.
The seven, who successfully filed their nomination papers to contest in the forthcoming elections as independents, are all former Gweru councilors and include former mayor Tedius Chimombe and his former deputy, Taurai Demo.
Six of the seven were expelled from the party following corruption allegations. Another former councilor, Trainos Makumbe, decided to stand as an independent candidate after losing in the party primaries.
All the seven except Chimombe are contesting to be councilors while the former mayor is eyeing the Gweru urban parliamentary constituency.
Demo told VOA Studio 7 Justice Bhunu dismissed the MDC-T’s application saying only individuals who feel aggrieved - and not the party - could approach the court seeking such an order.
The difference between the MDC-T's open palm symbol and that being used by the former councilors is that the party’s symbol is upright and is in black and white while the one being used by the former councillors is slanted and is red in colour and bears mug-shots of the contesting individuals.
VOA failed to get an official comment from Mt. Tsvangirai’s party.
The seven so-called rebels were representing themselves while attorney Takura Gumbo of Atherstone and Cook represented the MDC-T.