6 to contest Bikita West poll

From George Maponga in Masvingo

Six candidates will battle it out for the Bikita West National Assembly seat after they successfully filed their papers at the nomination court that sat at the Masvingo Magistrates’ court yesterday. The by-election is slated for January 21 next year and will be held to fill a vacancy left after the jailing of Munyaradzi Kereke, who was Bikita West legislator.Kereke was slapped with an effective 10-year jail term after he was convicted of raping his then 11-year-old niece. Leading the pack of candidates wishing to replace Kereke is zanu-pf Women’s League provincial executive member Cde Beauty Chabaya, who was first to successfully file papers before Zimbabwe Electoral Commission Masvingo provincial elections officer Mr Zex Pudurai when the nomination court opened at 10am.

Cde Chabaya, who won zanu-pf primary elections after shrugging of the challenge of nine other aspiring candidate, will slug it out with Mr Kudakwashe Gopo of the Mujuru-led Zimbabwe People First. The NCA is fielding its spokesperson Mr Madock Chivasa.

Others who successfully filed their papers include Mr Terence Makumbo of the little-known Progressive Democrats of Zimbabwe (PDZ)) together with an Independent candidate Mr Innocent Muzvimbiri.

Last to successfully submit his papers before the court closed at 4pm, was former Bikita West legislator Mr Heya Shoko, who will also stand as an Independent candidate. Mr Pudurai said the nomination process went on well without challenges.

“At the close of the nomination court, we had received nomination papers from six candidates who successfully filed their papers and this means we are going for an election to choose the new Bikita West parliamentary representative on January 21 next year,” said Mr Pudurayi.

He said all the six candidates’ election agents were expected to constitute a multi-party liaison committee that would have occasional meetings with ZEC to make sure the political environment was conducive for holding violent-free polls

zanu-pf has been winning all the by-elections held after the 2013 harmonised polls save for the Norton by-election, which the ruling party lost amid reports that the electorate was miffed by the imposition of the revolutionary party’s candidate.

The by-election was eventually won by an Independent candidate Mr Temba Mliswa. The ruling party in Masvingo has already hit the campaign trail in Bikita West, with the provincial leadership saying would pull all the stops to make sure it retains the seat and maintain its political dominance in the province after sweeping all the 26 House of Assembly seats in the last polls.