This was after Zimbabwe Election Commission (Zec) provincial officer Moffat Masabeya rejected Mutasa’s nomination on a Zanu PF ticket saying the former legislator’s papers were not supported by a letter from the ruling party.
Mutasa was fired from Zanu PF and recalled from Parliament recently before President Robert Mugabe set June 10 as the date for the by-elections.
But Mutasa said yesterday accused Zec of politically persecuting him.
He said Zanu PF had always fielded two candidates in some constituencies and his case was no exception.
“I am going to contest that decision,” Mutasa said.
“There is nowhere in our Constitution of the country or in the set-up of Zec that they should receive instructions from anyone.
“For Zec to say we received instructions from the party is neither here nor there. It’s not part of our law,” he said while accusing the new secretary for administration Ignatius Chombo of having a hand on Zec’s decision.
“I had support in my district. Zec is getting into politics and they should only work in terms of the law.
“This is not the first time Zanu PF is fielding two candidates. In this case this could be me with (Christopher) Chingosho and people will decide,” he said.
However, political analyst Pedzisai Ruhanya warned that Mutasa and his colleagues including former Vice-President Joice Mujuru should just accept their fate and stop confusing the electorate by claiming to be Zanu PF when the party has disowned them.
“They are just fighting a losing battle. If they are serious about forming a political outfit they should divorce from Zanu PF,” he said.
“Any attempt to use Zanu PF symbols will be fought at both the legal and political front. It is different with MDC where people moved away from Tsvangirai and still use those symbols.
“I also read about the former Vice-President saying no one can fire her from the original Zanu PF of 1963, but the fact of the matter is that the Zanu PF of 1963 has its leader who is Mugabe and what they should do is to move out and realise that what is done cannot be undone,” he said adding that even people like the late Edgar Tekere, Enos Nkala and Ndabaningi Sithole accepted their fate.
Ruhanya added that it was prudent for Mutasa and his colleagues to reach out to other political forces to start a grouping that would fight Zanu PF in the next elections.
