dyton mupawaenda
George Maponga in Masvingo
Zanu PF is confident of retaining the Gutu West National Assembly seat in Saturday’s by-election with the revolutionary party’s leadership in Masvingo saying everything is pointing to a crushing victory against the opposition.
The by-election will be held to elect the National Assembly representative for the constituency after elections to choose the legislator were postponed when the rest of the nation voted in August after the death of one of the candidates, Mr Christopher Mutonho.
The ruling party will be represented by the party’s Deputy Youth Secretary Cde John Paradza who was first elected as Gutu West National Assembly member in 2018.
He will square up against Mr Ephraim Morudu of CCC, Mr Robson Kurwa of NCA and an independent candidate Mr Sebastian Mudzingwa.
Zanu PF has been holding campaign rallies to drum up support for Cde Paradza with Vice President and Zanu PF Second Secretary Cde Kembo Mohadi and First Lady Dr Amai Auxillia Mnangagwa having headlined high profile rallies.
The ruling party provincial secretary for commissariat Cde Brian Munyoro yesterday said nothing was going to stop Zanu PF from recording a resounding win in Gutu West on Saturday.
“Come this Saturday, Zanu PF is going to win resoundingly in Gutu West in the by-election.
“We will trounce the opposition because we have an upper hand. It’s a foregone conclusion that we are going to win and we will do so with a very big margin.
“If the opposition manages to garner a few hundred votes they will be very lucky because we are the dominant party and our candidate Cde (John) Paradza will win hands down,’’ said Cde Munyoro.
The party had already finished campaigning and was now focusing on voter education of its members and supporters who will vote at the 53 polling stations that have been set up in the constituency.
“We are currently doing voter education that will be spearheaded by our members of the Zanu PF provincial executive. We are now done with campaigning and what is left is for our candidate to win resoundingly on Saturday.”
According to Cde Munyoro, the Zanu PF Government led by President Mnangagwa had implemented developmental projects to deserve victory in any election that will be held going forward.
In Gutu West, President Mnangagwa’s Zanu PF administration had changed the socio-economic complexion of the constituency which was previously an undeveloped backwater of former commercial farming areas with scanty social services for black communities.
“The Zanu PF Government has drilled boreholes in almost every village in Gutu West while roads have also been built and most areas across the vast constituency are now accessible.
“New schools have also been built across Gutu West making sure that school children walk no more than 5km daily to the nearest school. All these are achievements that are in sync with Vision 2030 and have solidified the bond between the revolutionary party and the people.’’
Government had also improved the health delivery system across Gutu West by building new clinics using the devolution war chest. Among the new clinics were Zoma, Ndahwi, Newlands and Chivake clinics.
Cde Paradza has already said he was more than confident of helping Zanu PF retain the seat and maintain its stranglehold on the Masvingo political landscape.
In the August 23 polls, the ruling party won a combined 23 seats in Masvingo province out of the 25 that were up for grabs.
The opposition CCC won only Masvingo Urban and Chiredzi Central and if Zanu PF retains Gutu West on Saturday it will take its provincial seats tally to 24 out of 26.
Online Reporter