adminGeorge Maponga Masvingo Bureau
Zimbabwe People First, fronted by expelled former Vice President Dr Joice Mujuru, is reportedly developing cold feet about contesting in the impending Bikita West parliamentary by-election.It emerged senior party officials here were now issuing conflicting statements on the party’s actual position on the by-election.
This comes as a faction of ZimPF here has already selected former Zanu-PF national youth league member Mr Kudakwashe Gopo as the party’s candidate.
Dates for the Bikita West by-election are still to be announced.
The parliamentary by-election will be held to fill the vacancy created by the jailing of former legislator Munyaradzi Kereke for raping his then 11-year-old niece.
Zanu-PF has since held primary elections to choose a candidate for the impending by-election, which were won by Masvingo Women’s League provincial executive member Cde Beauty Chabaya.
Apart from the ruling party, the National Constitutional Assembly is reportedly keen to contest in the by-election with the party’s spokesperson, Mr Madock Chivasa, touted as a front-runner to represent the party.
ZimPF Masvingo acting provincial spokesperson Mr Jeffreyson Chitando said the party’s national leadership was yet to announce a position on the by-election.
“We are still to get official communication from the national leadership of our party on whether or not we are going to participate in Bikita West. The leadership of the party will tell us whether we are going to play ball with the National Electoral Reform Agenda (Nera), or take part on our own,’’ he said.
“However, right now, we do not stop some of our members who might have interest to take part in the poll to start campaigning now as independent candidates and come out in the open once the party has made a position in the by-election,’’ he added. Mr Chitando said ZimPF was seized with mobilisation and organisation of the party ahead of a convention to choose a substantive national leadership, rather than contesting by-elections.
ZimPF spokesperson Mr Jealousy Mawarire could not be reached for comment as his phone was unavailable.
However, ousted ZimPF Masvingo provincial co-ordinator Retired Colonel Claudious Makova sang a different tune saying the opposition party was going to contest the Bikita West by-election.
“Who said we are not going to contest? That is not true. We will contest in Bikita West and we already have a candidate,’’ said Rtd Col Makova.
ZimPF has been rocked by infighting in Masvingo ever since the party replaced Rtd Col Makova with Great Zimbabwe University lecturer Dr Willian Zivenge as provincial chair.
Speaking during the burial of national executive member of her party,Retired Major Kudzai Mbudzi, Dr Mujuru decried infighting in Masvingo, which she said was casting the recently formed party in bad light.
Zanu-PF has won the majority of all by-elections held since the 2013 harmonised elections save for the Norton parliamentary by-election that was marred by allegations of candidate imposition by some senior ruling party officials.
Online Reporter