Speaking at a stakeholders meeting held by the Election Resource Centre (ERC) Chief Serima, born Vengai Rushwaya, said that the Constitution was infringing on the rights of traditional chiefs. He bemoaned the fact that constitution expressly forbids traditional chiefs from engaging in partisan politics. Said Chief Serima,
Do you know that a chief is the only one forbidden from campaigning for their own choice of candidate in Zimbabwe when the rest are allowed under the Constitution? Is that not a violation of our rights as fellow Zimbabweans?
…Where are my rights as a chief? Am I not a Zimbabwean like everyone else? That is where we clash. We are saying you are trampling on our rights. Allow me to campaign for whoever I want to vote for because it is my right as a Zimbabwean.
Chiefs have been criticised in the past for endorsing and sometimes campaigning for the ruling Zanu-PF party. They have come under fire after another chief criticised MDC-T president Nelson Chamisa saying that he cannot lead the country because he is a “toddler.”
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