What does the ConCourt decision mean to you? Members speak out

After Zimbabwe’s Constitutional Court delivered its judgement dismissing Nelson Chamisa’s presidential election legal challenge, we asked our members via WhatsApp: What does the ConCourt decision mean to you? How are you feeling about Zimbabwe today?

Here are some of their responses:

• Thanks for the feedback Kubatana. My question now is: What’s next?
• Let them rule but the question remains, how do you rule over people who did not elect you?
• Too long for simple things in life. The court posited on its demands for poisoned evidence. The democratic trajectory stands at a crossroads. The law is being applied to subvert the will of the people. This is a fallacy.
• Living in the darkness
• Terrible life for the next five years. Only a few people are happy about all this. The country will bleed profusely until 2023. It’s a pity.
• Guys it’s not free.
• Saw it coming. ED and his party didn’t come all this way to lose.
• There is no justice in Zimbabwe.
• It’s unfair. We have renewed 5 years to suffering and hunger
• The population of Zim is around 14 million we robbed of our vote now 9 anointed kkk appointed people decide our future. #CryZim. Hopefully they won’t close the passport office for me leaving as soon as my passport is ready.
• We can’t comment on this. It doesn’t solve anything. The judgement from ConCourt is biased.
• What is the way forward.
• I feel let down by our judicial system.
• Very disappointed. Another 5 years of gloom and doom. Food shortages are expected and the future for the younger generation looks more bleak than ever and more job losses are coming.
  Another 5 years of joblessness.
• The ConCourt was captured and controlled by Zanu PF. Chief Justice was acting as Zanu and ZEC lawyer. Zimbabwe the struggle continues. Mnangagwa has nothing new to offer.
• Sad news.
• This is first half.
• Our beloved Zimbabwe. I hope ED will stick to all the promises he made during the campaign period. The ConCourt is something that I failed to understand. May God just help us though.
• I think deep down Zimbabweans need to hold on to some hope that maybe a change would come that is why we followed the court proceedings. The judgement whether justified or not just killed whatever hope we had.
• Let’s accept the outcome of the day.
• Nothing can change in Zimbabwe. With a heavy heart we must accept the decision by the Constitutional Court as a law abiding party. We pray for peace and unity in our country. We all have just one country Zimbabwe. The people must have one vision and the people shall govern.
  Zimbabwe shall be a police state where army and soldiers will in the streets again trying to control order. Prices of basic commodities are going to skyrocketing … but let’s give him enough respect but poverty ahead.
• As for me I don’t think it’s fair enough, such ruling is not good, if they knew that they need enough evidence why don’t they give him chance to bring them, also all those Chief Justice are not neutral since they are appointed by the President to serve in those offices, anyway it is said ” until the lion knows how to write a book, the author will always keep on impress the hunter ” So let’s move on what we all need at the end is freedom, peace and food in our plates.
• This madala called judge is full of nonsense how can he do such a thing its like putting the whole of Zimbabwe in prison for the next 5 years..
• Many thanks for what you are doing but my comment is this, Zec riggid the votes and they know that issue.we had the court saying we are not dealing with numbers, and saying to chamisa we need full evidance not vebal reports, this means its not free and fare election .zec still the votes and they need Zanu pf to rule this country, anyway let them rule but noway to go. We are back to sodoma negomora suffering as 2002 to 2007 .just look the outcome $100 us at black market are at $250.00 bond using ecocash and for cash is $ 200 bond.who is going to stop that. Thats cost of living. This part is ubusing our rights what they want is kutonga kwete zvido zvevanhu. Zvino unoitonga sei uine city imwe munharaunda yakakukomberedza. Who say yes to you when using guns to rule zimbabwe .lets look and see the end nekuti tirikudzokera kumazuva ava Gedion Gono ekubhena mari. Tinoti kwamuri vaMunangagwa siyai hunhu hwechiZanu hwekutongera chitororo zadzisai zvamakavimbisa zvinooneka not just verbal report yamakaramba mukoti.
• I think that evidence was enough for a rerun, the judges were not for the ppl but themselves
• As the Law says so shall it be. We cannot deny the courts ruling and at soke point its a great maneuver in the history of this nation we are showing signs of political maturity. What i would advise our incoming president ED Munangagwa as anyone could have probably observed is that he cannot ignoe the statistical outcome of the election. Its almost 50/50 thus he has to consider the numbers who voted for Alliance. In such a case one cannot be quick to conclude that the 44% people who voted for Alliance hate Munangagwa. What they need is change for the better, the people of Zimbabwe are not hooligans, they ae good, peaceful, reasoning and praying united people. Therefore it is with the president to consider the woes of every citizen in Zimbabwe, from Civil servants, Students, farmers, Jobless Youth, investors, foregners in this country and all those who wish to see a change in Zimbabwe.We cannot rely on the constitutional courts judgment, what they did was to serve justice, the task is now on us as a nation to move forward and unite in our differences.
• It’s very disheartening and so devastating to receive such an unbalanced judgement. Its a travesty of justice for us the citizens of Zimbabwe. The court admitted that it sought to hear the case although it was filed and served to the sheriff in an inadequate time, but then look what the court set as ground rules for the case. The court denied the applicant befitted rights to the applicant by banishing his international legal representative of his choice citing lack of documents. This is despite the fact that Jeremy Gauntlet had all his papers in place, but they were reduced to being bystanders. As i am speaking my heart is bleeding with the so called impartial judgement, yet this can be seen even by an ordinary person like me that this is a gross travesty of our rights as Zimbabweans.
• As from, the verdict was lawful even though many people do not like ED and also even if he rigged the election if you do not present evidence you will be putting judges on a tight spot. Many did support NC thinking he got enough evidence whilst he didn’t…and when raising those serious allegations against big guys you must go with more than enough evidence.
• As for my feeling, I do accept inside me what is going to happen in next 5yrs and I will try to support zvakanaka zvinenge zviripo
• Our judiciary is captured. No clearer evidence than when ED said he ‘intervened’ in the Biti case. For me MDC A was fighting a tough battle against Zanu,Zec and the judiciary. Why did the court reject the subpoena to expose the Zec server? Were the results on the Zec server not based on primary evidence?Zec changed the results 3 times in 2 weeks and outside the 5 days stipulated by the law to count, collate and verify the results. They were supposed to announce the results by constituency not province. So the court is allowing Zec to get away with all those? It doesn’t bode well for the future elections especially considering that a certain Chigumba maybe elevated to be a ConCourt judge. The CJ Malaba said the MDC allegations were ‘systematically debunked’ which I find not true at all. The constitution is the law of the land and all public institutions must adhere to it to serve the will of the masses. There should be no selective application of the law or justice. If these public institutions are impartial, they inspire the confidence of the masses from whom power and legitimacy is derived from. Failure to that sows the seeds of a failed, broken state.