BULAWAYO – The Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC), led by Nelson Chamisa, is facing potential consequences due to a flawed candidate selection process.
The party’s selection process, which they claimed to be citizen-led, was marred by confusion and resulted in difficulties in filing nomination papers on time in various regions across the country. The party also encountered issues with double candidates and failed to submit their provincial council list in Bulawayo.
It has now been revealed that one of the CCC’s candidates for the Lobengula-Magwegwe constituency, Ereck Gono, allegedly absconded community service after being convicted of public violence. Gono, along with Bulawayo Deputy Mayor Mlandu Ncube and Councilor Felix Mhaka, received a 12-month prison sentence for their involvement in the violence that occurred at the party’s offices in Bulawayo following the MDC-T split in 2014. A portion of their sentence was suspended on the condition of good behavior, while the remainder was suspended on the condition that they perform community service.
According to a judgment by Magistrate Sithembile Ncube, Ncube, and Mhaka were identified as leading the group that vandalized Dr. Thokozani Khupe’s vehicle, while Gono’s vehicle was allegedly used to transport stones during the offense. Ncube’s judgment stated that the appellants were witnessed committing the offense and that violence erupted immediately after they were denied entry into the meeting.
While Ncube and Mhaka reportedly appealed their sentences in order to continue their participation in the 2018 elections, Gono allegedly did not fulfill his community service obligations. Gono claimed to have filed an appeal that has been pending at the High Court for the past five years, but documents provided by him, purportedly related to the appeal, bear a stamp from January 19, 2023.
Legal experts suggest that if Gono indeed absconded community service, he could face arrest and prosecution, which would invalidate his candidacy in the upcoming elections in August.
