adminPatrick Chitumba Midlands Bureau Chief
THREE candidates filed their papers to contest the Mbizo parliamentary by-election in Kwekwe at the nomination court on Thursday, the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec) has said. Presiding officer, Zec’s Midlands Provincial Electoral Officer, Dorcas Mpofu said Cde Vongaishe Mupereri of Zanu-PF, Innocent Madziva of Transform Zimbabwe and Onismo Tafirei Zhavairo, an independent candidate successfully filed their papers.
The nomination court sat at its traditional venue, the Gweru magistrate’s court.
Mpofu said: “We’ve received three nominations from three different parties. The candidates are Vongaishe Mupereri of Zanu-PF party, Innocent Madziva of Transform Zimbabwe party and Onismo Tafirei Zhavairo, an independent candidate.
“Since more than one candidate has filed nomination papers at the close of the court, it therefore means a by- election will be held in Mbizo Constituency.”
Mbizo parliamentary constituency, formerly represented by Settlement Chikwinya, was declared vacant following the recalling of 21 MDC-T legislators who defected to the Tendai Biti-led MDC Renewal Team. Cde Mupereri said he was confident that the revolutionary party would win the Mbizo seat.
He said the by-elections would consolidate the ruling party’s dominance in the province and country as they were expecting to win them.
Cde Mupereri said the nomination court was just a formality in a free democratic Zimbabwe.
“I’m very confident that we’re retaining this seat that was in the wrong hands. I’m from Mbizo and I’m a councillor there meaning that I’ve the full support of the people. “It’s the people who actually approached me and asked me to stand on the party’s ticket and we’re going to do the revolutionary party proud,” said Cde Mupereri.
He said it had become evidently clear that opposition parties did not have the people at heart.
Transform Zimbabwe spokesperson, Tichaona Saurombe was also full of confidence of his party winning the seat. He said his party had been doing campaigns and had registered a lot of people in Mbizo.
“We’ve a lot of supporters in Mbizo and we’re very optimistic that we will win the seat,” he said.
Bongani Moyo
Online Reporter