JOE MALANJI’S SEAT NULLIFICATION:NEED TO REEXAMINE THE GRADE 12 CERTIFICATE VERIFICATION PROCESS.
It is reported that former Foreign Affairs minister, Joe Malanji’s Kwacha Seat in Kitwe has been nullified by the High Court because of violence, bribery before elections and his non possession of the mandatory grade 12 certificate.
This is despite him presenting a verified Grade 12 certificate by the Examination Council of Zambia (ECZ) before the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) on nomination day and pronounced validly nominated by the ECZ (Elections)
Legal basis for nullifying a seat by the court or tribunal as outlined in section 97 of the Electoral Process Act No 35 of 2016:
a) proven non-compliance with the provisions of the Electoral Act relating to the conduct of elections, and when election is not conducted in accordance with the principles in the Act
(b) proof that the candidate was at the time of the election, a person not qualified or a person disqualified for election or
c) proven commission of corrupt practice or illegal practice by, or with the knowledge and consent or approval of, any agent of the candidate being petitioned
So for Cde Malanji, his argument that the eligibility issues was not supposed to have been brought up at his petition trial but at nomination stage is a faulty legal argument
According to the cited reasons above, for a seat to be nullified there must be proof that *the candidate (In this case, Malanji) was at the time of the election a person not qualified or a person disqualified for election (because of non possession of Grade 12 certificate).
So the nullification of seat based on non possession of Grade 12 certificate, a challenge that comes after election, is a solid reason to nullify one’s seat.
Therefore, challenging one’s eligibility to contest an election does not end with the nomination challenge contained in Art 52(4) and it is not 14 days as alleged but 7 days for the lodgement of a nomination petition/ challenge.
But who is to blame over this drama on Grade 12 certificates?
It will be very unfair to faulty the ECZ(Elections ) which just receives verified and certified copies of the Grade 12 certificates done by the ECZ (Education) from candidates.
ECZ(Elections) is not mandated by any law to scrutinise further such papers/certificates submitted by candidates but it receives on face value with understanding that they are authentic whether impersonated or forged, it is non of ECZ (Elections) business.
To resolve this criminality in the electoral process such as forgery, fraudulent and impersonation in acquisition of Grade 12 certificates, ECZ (Education) must invest in biometric systems including mandatory taking of fingerprints for those sitting for examinations.
This will be key during verification to detect fraudsters, forgers and impersonators as the details of the true owner of the certificate will be easily identified.
This will put to an end people presenting certificates for verification which are not theirs but using other people’s certificates by manipulating years on their NRCs or names on the original certificates.
This is the only way to deal with forgers, impersonators and fraudsters in the country now that Grade 12 certificate has become the most important documents both in politics, for work and in social life including relationships.
Therefore, if the High Court has proved that Cde Malanji had no Grade 12 certificate, then he is a disqualified candidate under Art 70 of the Constitution of Zambia and may not be allowed to recontest his seat if the High Court decision is upheld by the Constitutional Court.
I submit
McDonald Chipenzi