Opposition the Freedom of Rights Under Sovereign (FORUS) party has written to the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) requesting formal protection of its official colours warning that the use of identical colours by multiple political parties could confuse voters and undermine electoral integrity.

In a letter addressed to the commission, FORUS president Manyara Irene Muyenziwa said the organisation was seeking ZEC's intervention to safeguard its blue-and-white colours which she described as central to the party's identity.

FORUS, which was established in 2021 argues that party colours are more than a branding choice serving as a key means through which supporters and the wider public are able to identify political organisations during campaigns, rallies and other public events.

"These colours are not chosen lightly; they embody the spirit, vision, and identity of FORUS Party," Muyenziwa said in the letter adding that allowing several parties to use the same colours could lead to confusion among voters.

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She warned that such overlap could also expose political parties to reputational damage particularly if one group were mistakenly associated with the actions or misconduct of another.

The party's request is anchored in Section 47 of the Electoral Act which provides for the protection of political party symbols and identifiers.

Muyenziwa said enforcing this provision would help promote fairness, transparency and credibility in the country's electoral processes.

"We humbly request that the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission take the necessary steps to ensure that the colours blue and white remain exclusively associated with FORUS Party," she wrote.

The issue of party symbols and colours has previously been contentious in the country, visual identifiers play a significant role in political mobilisation particularly among voters with limited access to detailed party manifestos.