President Emmerson Mnangagwa has proclaimed the date for the sitting of the nomination court, and the date for by-elections for Harare East and Mt Pleasant National Assembly constituencies.
The Harare East and Mt Pleasant seats fell vacant following the resignations of Allan Norman Markham and Fadzayi Mahere, respectively.
Both MPs were members of the opposition Citizens’ Coalition for Change (CCC).
In terms of Proclamation 1 of 2024 in Statutory Instrument 37A of 2024 published in the supplement to the Government Gazette Extraordinary dated 05 March 2024, the nomination court shall sit at the Magistrates Court Rotten Row, Harare on 26 March. The by-elections will be held on 27 April 2024. The proclamation by President Mnangagwa reads in part:
WHEREAS, in terms of section 129(1)(b) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe, the seats of members of Parliament for Harare East and Mount Pleasant have become vacant by reason of resignation of Markham Rusty and Mahere Fadzayi on the 20th of February, 2024, who were the elected members of Parliament for the respective constituencies;
AND WHEREAS it is provided by section 39(2) of the Electoral Act [Chapter 2:13], that after the President has been notified in terms of the said section of vacancies in the membership of Parliament, he shall issue a proclamation ordering a new election to fill the vacancies in the same manner, mutatis mutandis, as is provided in section 38 of the said Act in regard to a general election;
AND WHEREAS, the Speaker of Parliament has notified me on the 20th of February, 2024, in writing, of vacancies for the afore-mentioned constituencies:
NOW, THEREFORE, under and by virtue of the powers vested in the President as afore said, I do, by this proclamation—
(a) order new elections for the constituencies of Harare East and Mount Pleasant; and
(b) fix Tuesday the 26th day of March, 2024, as the date on which the nomination court shall sit, commencing at 10 o’clock in the morning, at the Magistrates Court Rotten Row, Harare, for the purpose of receiving nomination of candidates for election as a member of National Assembly Constituencies for Harare East and Mount Pleasant; and
(c) fix Saturday the 27th of April, 2024, as the day on which a poll shall be taken if a poll becomes necessary in terms of section 46(17)(c) of the Electoral Act [Chapter 2:13].
