Zanu PF Mat North ready for by-elections

Victoria Falls Reporter

ZANU PF Matabeleland North province says it is ready for by-elections set for March next year and is geared to reclaim seats from the opposition, which is battling untold divisions.

Treasury recently allocated $3,25 billion to the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec) to hold by-elections.

The by-elections were necessitated by the recall of MDC-T legislators and councillors, with other seats becoming vacant through deaths.

In Matabeleland North province, two Parliamentary seats are up for grabs: Tsholotsho South Constituency which fell vacant following death of Zanu PF’s legislator Cde Zenzo Sibanda who succumbed to Covid-19 in August, and Binga North where MDC’s Prince Dubeko Sibanda was recalled by his party early this year.

In the local authority seats, by-elections will be held in Victoria Falls Wards 1 and 6, Kusile Rural District Council ward 14, Umguza ward 6 and two other wards in Nkayi and Bubi.

The Victoria Falls and Lupane seats were won by opposition MDC Alliance in 2018 harmonised election and the winners were recalled following a Supreme Court ruling that said Nelson Chamisa was not the legitimate leader of the MDC-T.

Party provincial chairperson Cde Richard Moyo said: “The by-elections will be there in March next year and primaries will be held in February probably.

“As a party we are more than ready for these elections as we want to deliver on our target and we promise to wrestle back all the seats in the province.”

Matabeleland North has 13 constituencies and Zanu PF won eight of them during the 2018 harmonised elections, an improvement from five in the previous election.