Allan Markham

Service / Career

Apart from his political career, Markham is also a trustee of several boards which include the Harare Wetlands Trust, Stratford Road Community Trust, and Hatcliffe Development Trust.

Politics

He joined MDC-T in 2000. In the 2013 Harmonised Elections he was elected Councilor in Harare’s ward 18 and served until 2018. ^[1]
He was then elected MP for Harare North.

Events

Asset Dsclosure

In January 2021, Markham sued the Government of Zimbabwe at the High Court over its failure to actualise a law that forces public officials, including Emmerson Mnangagwa and ministers, to disclose their assets. Represented by Tendai Biti, Markham sought an order compelling the government to actualise section 198 of the constitution, which requires public officials to make regular disclosures of their assets.^[2]

Devolution

On devolution, Combined Harare Residents Association (CHRA), Community Water Alliance (CWA) and Member of Parliament Rusty Markham went to court in 2023, and in October, the High Court ordered that:

Any or all of the respondents shall, within six (6) months, that is to say, by 31 March 2021 submit a bill or Bills for gazetting by the Parliament of Zimbabwe which Bill or Bills will give effect to an Act of Parliament governing the devolution of powers as contemplated in Chapter 14 of the Constitution of Zimbabwe.

The Minister of Local Government Rural and Urban Development was the first respondent with the Minister of Justice Legal and Financial Affairs being the second respondent the Minister of Finance and Economic Development was the third respondent. The matter was presided over by Justice Mushore. Residents were represented by Mr Tendai Biti, a member of Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights. ^[3]

As of March 2023, none of the respondents had complied with the court order, meaning all the government ministers were in contempt of court.

Foreign Currency Auction System

Delays in foreign currency payments to companies under the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe auction facility, of up to two months, caused alarm, and led to a court case in June 2021.

The foreign currency auction system, introduced in 2020 by the central bank was hailed as a ‘game-changer’ in alleviating shortages of forex and boosting transparency and efficiency in the foreign currency market.

However, during the Wednesday National Assembly question-and-answer session, MPs accused the government of lying that it had disbursed money to the affected companies, adding that some of them had gone for a month without getting their dues. Harare North MP Rusty Markham (MDC Alliance) said:

Last week, we were told by the Deputy Minister of Finance (Clemence Chiduwa) that all the money due from the auction system had been paid. Has this, indeed, happened, and have the banks paid their customers? What is government policy to ensure that customers are given the allocations they applied for?

Markham said in his research with big banks, he discovered that they were eight weeks behind in the allocation of foreign currency through the facility.

But Dzivarasekwa MP Edwin Mushoriwa (MDC Alliance) said the government had given the impression that all was in order in the foreign currency auction system.

Leader of government business in the National Assembly, Justice minister Ziyambi Ziyambi in response said government policy was that those accessing the funds through the facility would be notified by their banks.

Speaker of the National Assembly Jacob Mudenda ruled that the Finance minister should investigate the problems and ensure corrective action is taken to deal with the delays. ^[4]

Voters' Roll

In October 2022, Markham requested a copy of the voters' roll from the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) but was advised that he could only get a hard copy within thirty (30) days of the payment of the US$187 000.00 fee. ^[5]

ZEC told him that “it was currently working on enhancing the security of the electronic voters roll".

Markham argued that the electronic roll was easy to analyze and review compared to the bulky hard copy and that it costs an affordable US$200 as opposed to the expensive US$187 000.

On 2 November 2022, Markham gave ZEC an ultimatum that they either provide him with an electronic voters' roll within seven (7) days, or he would approach the court.

On 23 November 2022, Markham instituted the court application after ZEC did not respond to his letter.

However, on 7 March 2023, High Court judge Justice Never Katiyo sitting at the Harare High Court ruled that Markham's application was premature. ^[6]

2023 CCC Primaries

It was reported on 18 June 2023 that Allan Markham (Rusty) former Harare North MP, won the Harare East Constituency CCC nomination for the August 2023 elections. He defeated former Harare East MP Tendai Biti - also CCC co-vice president. It will be the first time in 23 years that the former Minister of Finance will not be part of the country’s legislative house.

Posting on Twitter, journalist Hopewell Chin'ono said Biti’s defeat is a victory for corruption in the country. ^[7]

2023 General Elections

Markham was elected MP for the Harare East National Assembly constituency in the 23 August 2023 elections. He garnered 15 642 votes, more than double those won by ZANU PF candidate Mavis Gumbo who received 7 621 votes.

The other candidates were Malvin Razaru, a CCC double candidate who won 1 027 votes, MDC-T’s Stewart Musarurwa Mutizwa (108 votes), and Garikai Mlambo (UZA), who garnered 84 votes.

On 02 February 2024, Markham wrote to the Speaker of Parliament Jacob Mudenda advising him of his resignation from Parliament with immediate effect.^[8]

On 03 February 2024, Markham announced his resignation from the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) party in solidarity with founding party leader Nelson Chamisa who resigned from the party in late January 2024. In a message to Harare East residents, Markham said CCC has been infiltrated and no longer represents what he stands for.^[9]

References