Nomination fees for president too low

Nomination fees for president too low - J.M Busha

The pastor, the politician and the pension funds – The Mail & Guardian — **Joseph Busha**

A presidential aspirant and leader of FreeZim Congress party believes the US$20 000 nomination fee for presidential candidates set by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission should actually be increased to US$50 000 so that only people who are serious will run for the presidency.

ZEC pegged fees for presidential candidates at US$20 000 per head and US$1 000 for aspiring MPs ahead of the 23 August harmonised elections.

Speaking during the launch of his presidential bid in Harare on Monday, June 12, Joseph Busha said:

“We don’t want people who want to play with Zimbabweans. Leaders pay all the time for the presidential candidate.

“I think we should pay more because we do not want a bloated ballot.

“The US$20 000 is little and we need something like US$50 000 so that serious people contest the presidential elections.”

Busha, however, said nomination fees for parliamentary and local government candidates are too high and should be reduced.

The Constitutional Court last Friday ruled against ZEC’s nomination fees following an application by Devine Mhambi Hove, leader of the opposition National Alliance of Patriotic and Democratic Republicans.

Mhambi had argued that the fees were too high and contravened provisions of the national Constitution.

The ConCourt gave Parliament seven days to review the fees.