adminMunicipal Reporter
ZANU-PF reaffirmed its dominance over MDC-T in council run-off elections in Manicaland, Matabeleland North and Mashonaland West provinces to consolidate its supremacy in local government countrywide.The victory, which analysts likened to a snap survey of grassroots support, pushed Zanu-PF’s haul of council wards to 1 496, up from the 1 493 wards the party won on July 31 where MDC-T managed a paltry 442.
The Zanu-PF haul translated to over 76 percent dominance of the country’s 92 local authorities that consist of 1 958 wards.
The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission called for run-off elections in Mutasa Rural Council (Manicaland), Kadoma Municipality Ward 4 (Mashonaland West) and Kusile Rural District Council Ward 4 (Matabeleland South) after equal votes were declared in the July 31 harmonised elections.
ZEC chief elections officer Mr Lovemore Sekeramayi confirmed that Zanu-PF emerged victorious in all the three districts.
“I can confirm that Zanu-PF has won in all the districts which were being contested. The election process went very well, people came in large numbers and expressed their wishes,” he said.
In the run-off election in Ward 5 in Kusile RDC, Cde Soneni Tshuma (Zanu-PF) polled 646 votes against MDC-T’s Ubunene Ncube’s 221.
There were six spoiled ballots and the total ballots were 873.
The pair had been tied on 419 votes in the July 31 polls, which means Cde Tshuma increased his share of the vote from 50 percent to 74 percent.
In Mutasa RDC Ward 30, Manicaland, Cde William Ketero of Zanu-PF routed MDC-T’s Elias Kembo with 732 votes to 399.
The two had been tied on 692 votes on July 31, meaning Cde Ketero increased his share of the vote from 50 percent to 65 percent.
In Ward 4 Kadoma, Mashonaland West, Cde Godfrey Mavura of Zanu-PF polled 523 votes, against Mr Fastmore Mandipota’s 212.
The pair had been deadlocked on 545 votes on July 31, which means Cde Mavura moved his tally from 50 percent to 71, 2 percent.
The new Constitution stipulates that where there is an equality of votes, a by-election should be held. Previously, the candidates would have drawn lots or tossed a coin to break the tie.
Zanu-PF National spokesman Cde Rugare Gumbo attributed the victory to Zanu-PF’s pro-people policies.
“This is what we call the cocktail, Zanu-PF has a political line, sound policies and concrete programmes t o improve the livelihoods of the people. These are the things that attracted the votes,’’ he said.
MDC-T spokesperson Mr Douglas Mwonzora refused to comment only saying he had not yet seen the results.
Zanu-PF routed the MDC-T in the Presidential poll where President Mugabe romped to victory with 61,09 percent of the vote to MDC-T leader Mr Morgan Tsvangirai’s 33,94 percent while Zanu-PF swept 160 of the National Assembly’s 210 constituencies to the MDC-T’s 49 with the remaining constituency going to independent candidate for Mudzi South constituency Mr Jonathan Samkange who calls himself de jure independent but de facto Zanu-PF.
After factoring in 60 women’s quota seats elected by proportional representation of six for each of the 10 provinces, the final composition of the National Assembly comes to 197 seats for Zanu-PF, 70 for MDC-T, two for MDC, and one independent giving Zanu-PF just under 73 percent of the total seats in the National Assembly but well over the two thirds majority of 180 seats.
In the Senate that is picked by proportional representation using votes garnered in National Assembly elections, Zanu-PF has 37 seats, MDC-T 21 with MDC weighing in with two seats.
Online Reporter