EDUCATIONIST Cde William Gondo will represent Zanu-PF in
the Mkoba constituency by-elections after trouncing four other candidates in
the party primary elections.
Last week Government indefinitely suspended by-elections to
fill vacancies in Parliament and councils as the country is still grappling
with the Covid-19 pandemic.
The ruling party Zanu-PF however, went ahead with the Mkoba
primary elections which were won by Cde Gondo.
The Mkoba constituency seat fell vacant following the recalling
of MDC-Alliance member Mr Amos Chibaya from Parliament.
The Kwekwe Central constituency primary elections which
were supposed to be held simultaneously with the Mkoba primaries, were
cancelled following violence which resulted in two party vehicles being
damaged.
Police had to be called in and fired shots in the air to
disperse the violent gangs armed with machetes and iron bars.
Cde Gondo, who runs a number of private colleges in Gweru,
polled 358 votes while Cde Charles Simbi came second with 287 votes.
Cde Rosemary Vundla got 43 votes, Cde Thomas Mlitao polled
41 votes and Cde Basilton Sikhosana did not get any vote.
Zanu-PF Midlands provincial spokesperson Cde Cornelius
Mupereri who announced the results said all went well in Mkoba constituency
primary elections while there were disturbances in Kwekwe Central Constituency
primary elections.
Cde Mupereri said rowdy youths who were not in the party
structures became violent attacking party members including polling agents and
also stoned parked vehicles at the party district headquarters, forcing the
cancellation of the elections.
Zanu-PF Midlands Provincial chairman, Engineer Daniel
Mackenzie Ncube said it was a sad day for the party. He said perpetrators of
violence should be brought to book.
“As the voting process was about to start, some rowdy
youths, most of them gold panners from the surrounding mines, came and
disrupted the elections. They beat up people, including polling agents. They
also stoned vehicles and investigations are going on to establish the motive
behind the violence.
“We have suspended the elections in Kwekwe indefinitely as
we investigate the hand behind the violence,” he said “We are a party of peace and unity and we are
assisting police in the investigations,” he said.
A local businessman and an apostolic sect leader, Cde
Kandros Mugabe is set to battle it out with Cde Energy Ncube in the Kwekwe
primaries.
The seat fell vacant following the death of the national
Patriotic Front MP Mr Masango Matambanadzo in July. Chronicle
0 comments:
Post a Comment