Zanu-PF wins all run-off elections

Chronicle Reporter
MDC-T continues to lose support with Zanu-PF winning all the three run-off elections that were held in three wards on Wednesday.
Zanu-PF trounced MDC-T with wider margins in the run-off election at Kusile Rural District Council Ward Five in Lupane, Mutasa Rural District Council’s Ward 30 in Manicaland and Kadoma Municipality Ward Four.

In Lupane, Cde Soneni Tshuma of Zanu-PF garnered 646 votes against MDC-T candidate Ubunene Ncube who polled 221 votes. The two candidates had received 419 votes each in the 31 July election.

In Mutasa RDC Ward 30 Cde William Ketero of Zanu PF received 732 votes against MDC-T’s Elias Kembo’s 399.
The two had initially polled 692 votes each.

In Ward Four Kadoma, Cde Godfrey Mavura of Zanu-PF won by 523 votes against Mr Fastmore Mandipota’s 212.
In the harmonised elections Cde Mavura and Mr Mandipota had polled 545 votes each.

Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec)’s chief elections officer Mr Lovemore Sekeramayi confirmed the results yesterday.
“I can confirm that Zanu-PF has won in all the districts which were being contested. The election process went very well and voters came in their large numbers to vote,” he said.

Matabeleland North provincial elections officer Mr Mark Ndlovu also said the election process was conducted in a peaceful manner at all the four polling stations in Lupane.

“A total of 867 people voted while six were rejected. The election process was peaceful throughout,” said Mr Ndlovu. The polling stations were at Esibombo, Msewele, Kana and Sinqobile Primary Schools.”

There was however one incident of an individual who wanted to observe the elections in Lupane but failed to accredit on time. The unidentified individual was later caught trying to cast his vote at one of the polling stations despite the fact that he was not registered.

The electoral body called for by-elections in the three local authority wards after equal votes were declared in the July 31 harmonised elections.

The commission printed 9 300 ballot papers for the exercise in the three wards and the tender for the printing was awarded to a Harare based company, Printflow Private Limited.

Kadoma Municipality was allocated 3 000 ballot papers, 2 900 for Kusile RDC while Mutasa RDC got 3 400. 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.