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Kuda Bwititi: Chief Reporter
Zanu-PF has ordered an audit of how the party lost the October 22 Norton National Assembly by-election, with a senior official saying the leadership was partly to blame for the loss. Independent candidate Mr Temba Mliswa got 8 927 votes to Zanu-PF’s Cde Ronnie Chindedza’s 6 192, marking the revolutionary party’s first by-election loss since the July 2013 harmonised polls.Zanu-PF’s First Secretary and President, Cde Mugabe, has since slammed the imposition of Cde Chindedza as the party candidate, labelling him “a thief”. In an interview with The Sunday Mail last week, Zanu-PF Secretary for Administration Dr Ignatius Chombo said the party’s Mashonaland West executive would lead a two-week probe into the débâcle.
“We have heard a lot of disturbing issues that took place in the Norton by-elections. We are still treating the information as rumours, but what we have said is that the provincial executive should sit down and look at the allegations. “We want to be better organised and systematic so that the process gives us the best candidate. This is why I have said that Mashonaland West should sit down and conduct a post-mortem.
“I have told the province’s chairman (Cde Ephraim Chengeta) that the outcome (of the audit) should be there within the next two weeks and after that, corrective action will be taken if need be.” Dr Chombo went on, “It is important to see where the party could have erred. Chimanimani West (which has a by-election on November 26) should not make the same mistakes, but benefit from the Norton post-mortem. “As leaders, it should have been our duty to advise the provincial executive to make sure they followed the guidelines properly so that we do not end up with a self-inflicted loss.
“We are also to blame for not having exercised leadership in guiding the provincial executive. I am sure this will not happen again in Mashonaland West and any other area that holds elections in the foreseeable future.” Dr Chombo said Zanu-PF members should stand guided by President Mugabe’s exhortation to “uphold the aspirations of the people” and not to take them for granted.
“We need to follow what the President said; that we should listen to the people, follow the people, listen to their instructions and give in to their wishes and aspirations. We need to make decisions are in the best interests of the people.
“We have a very educated electorate that will resist issues such as imposition of candidates or a candidate they hardly know. A candidate who is sincere should self-introspect and put the interests of the party first.”
Online Reporter