Chief Seke ordered to withdraw Zanu PF Slogans aft...

Chief Seke ordered to withdraw Zanu PF Slogans after court ruling

Zim Now Writer

Chief Seke, Stanley Chimanikire, has been found in breach of Zimbabwe’s Constitution for chanting Zanu PF slogans, with the High Court ordering him to publicly retract his statements within a week.

The case was brought by citizen Esther Vongai Zimudzi, who accused the chief of violating her political rights under Section 67 and flouting Section 281(2) of the Constitution, which forbids traditional leaders from engaging in partisan politics.

A recording played in court captured Chimanikire telling a gathering “2030 VaMnangagwa vanenge vachitonga; Pamberi ne Zanu PF; Pasi nemhandu”

(“Mnangagwa will still be ruling in 2030, forward with Zanu PF, down with the enemies”).

Chimanikire admitted to the remarks but claimed they were made at a private function and were intended as patriotic praise for President Emmerson Mnangagwa rather than party endorsement.

Justice Samuel Deme rejected this defence, stressing that constitutional limits on political activity by traditional leaders apply at all times and in all settings.

"The fact that the remarks were made at a private gathering does not absolve Chief Seke from the constitutional obligation imposed upon him,” the judge said.

The ruling compels Chimanikire to:

Publish a retraction in a nationally circulated newspaper.

Share it with public and private media outlets.

Circulate the judgment through the National Council of Chiefs and provincial assemblies.

The court dismissed a bid to force the Minister of Local Government to take disciplinary action, noting the minister is not the appointing authority for chiefs. Punitive legal costs were also denied.

This decision adds to the growing controversy over the political neutrality of traditional leaders — a matter long contested by opposition parties and civil society groups.