Losing aspirants heed Zanu-PF call

elections last week, yesterday heeded calls by the party leadership not to stand as independents, but to work with the victors ahead of harmonised elections set for July 31.

Suspended Zanu-PF Manicaland provincial chairman Cde Mike Madiro, who was barred from the primaries and Cde Nyarai Chasi who lost to Cde Sylvester Nguni in Mhondoro-Mubaira, urged all those who lost the primaries to rally behind the party’s official candidates.

Zanu-PF national political commissar Cde Webster Shamu yesterday urged all who were withdrawing their candidature to formally notify ZEC.

A source at the party’s headquarters, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said most cadres who filed papers as independents had notified the party that they were withdrawing their candidature to avoid splitting votes in favour of rival parties.

The Zanu-PF campaign will run under the theme “Indigenise, empower, develop and create employment’’ with the catchphrase “Bhora Mugedhi/Bhola Egedini’’, a clear admonishment against divisive practices that cost the party outright victory in 2008.

Among those who filed to stand as independents were Cdes Dorothy Mabika (Chipinge Central), Marian Chombo (Zvimba North), Daniel Garwe (Murehwa North), Richard Mavhunga (Marondera Central), Rumbidzai Mujuru (Chikomba Central), Machiri (Mutare Central), Shylet Uyoyo (Bikita South) and Jonathan Samukange (Mudzi South).
Cde Madiro said he had withdrawn his independent candidature to back Mutare North official candidate Cde Batsirai Pemhenayi.

“I have considered that my adversaries in the party wanted to frustrate me in this election by denying me an opportunity to stand as the party’s candidate for Mutare North.
“I have been a party activist for the past 38 years and I have also considered Mutare North from the perspective that because it is also part of Manicaland where Zanu-PF wants to reclaim all the previously lost constituencies,” said Cde Madiro.

Zanu-PF managed just six out of the 26 House of Assembly seats on offer in Manicaland in the 2008 harmonised elections.
“Cde Chasi said she would support Cde Nguni, despite having misgivings on the way she lost.
“It’s not the time to fight against one another,” she said in an interview.

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“Without co-operation, we are not going anywhere. I am urging other candidates who lost in Mhondoro-Mubaira to work as one team for the good of the party.”
“I am urging the people in Mhondoro-Mubaira to forget about the grievances they might have with regards to the primaries and focus on working together as a team.”
Cde Chasi said the primary elections were important, especially to women in Zimbabwe.

“The primary elections gave women room to participate in politics, showing that women can contest freely in a democratic Zimbabwe,” she said.
She urged Zanu–PF to focus on forthcoming elections for a resounding win that would end the politics of puppetry as shown by Western sponsored political parties like the MDC-T.

“I love my party and let us work together with those who were against us in the primaries towards a common goal and use our experiences to bring a victory to the revolutionary party,” she said.

The disunity among winners and losers, Cde Chasi said, would split votes, a move that could be costly to the party.
Cde Nguni won the right to represent Zanu-PF in Mhondoro-Mubaira beating Cdes Kennias Shamuyarira and Chasi.

Zanu-PF successfully held its primaries last week which retained some of the bigwigs, while ushering new entrants in various parts of the country.
Some of the defeated candidates filed their papers with the nomination court which sat on Friday, a move that – in the party’s tradition – translates to automatic expulsion.