The High Court has rejected Walter Magaya’s appeal against his disqualification from running for the position of ZIFA president. The ruling was made ahead of the ZIFA elections scheduled for January 25. Magaya was disqualified for failing to meet the minimum educational requirement set by the electoral committee.
Justice Tawanda Chitapi clarified the importance of the qualification criteria in his judgment. He stated that candidates must have a minimum of five O-Level passes to qualify for the ZIFA presidency. “A requirement to have 5 O’ Levels must be met,” the judge emphasized.
The judge further explained that holding higher qualifications, such as a diploma or even a PhD, does not exempt a candidate from presenting an O-Level certificate. “If one relies on a diploma, the issue is not that a diploma is higher than O’ Level. The applicant would still be required to produce an O’ Level certificate,” said Justice Chitapi.
Magaya, however, failed to provide sufficient evidence to challenge the committee’s decision. The court noted that he had not disclosed enough details about his academic qualifications to prove that he met the requirements. This lack of transparency weakened his case.
As a result, the High Court dismissed Magaya’s application. Justice Chitapi ordered that each party involved in the case should cover its own legal costs. The ruling effectively bars Magaya from contesting the ZIFA presidency.
