All results will be officially announced at the National
Command Centre at the party headquarters this week, once voting closes and due
processes have been followed.
Masvingo and Midlands provinces, which did not carry out
the intra-party elections yesterday, are expected to do so today.
Addressing a press conference at the party’s headquarters
yesterday, ZANU PF national political commissar Cde Mike Bimha said the internal
polls, which are a preparation for this year’s general elections, had
organisational capacity and capability of our tried and
tested revolutionary party. All things considered, this primary election is
geared to be a great success,” he said.
Cde Bimha said the party was now seized with securing
voting material to ensure smooth voting during today’s extended date.
“Due to the multitudes of our party faithful, who thronged
polling stations across the country, the party has been compelled to extend
voting in some areas to tomorrow (today), March 26, 2023.
“Only the voting centres that did been conducted in a
peaceful manner.
“This demonstrates the not complete the voting exercise are
expected to resume the voting process until lunch time. As reported earlier,
Masvingo and Midlands will commence the voting process tomorrow (today) from
0700hrs to 1600hrs,” he said.
Cde Bimha urged the party’s structures to ensure that all
its members are well catered for and recorded in cell registers.
“We are expecting 4,3 million registered card-carrying
party members to vote in this primary election.
“We also received reports from our various Provincial
Command Centres indicating that a significant number of our supporters could
not vote because they were not captured in the voters’ rolls (cell registers).
“With this in mind, we urge our party structures to capture
these supporters as we march towards reaching the five million voters target in
the forthcoming 2023 harmonised elections,” he said.
Addressing the same press conference, ZANU PF national
spokesperson Cde Christopher Mutsvangwa said the party’s leadership was focused
on ensuring that its members’ expectations are met.
“We always boast that ZANU PF is there to rule by the
consent of the people. Here we are today in the Second Republic in the openness
agenda championed by President Mnangagwa, extending democracy to the grassroots
level of this massive party of the Zimbabwe revolution,” he said.
In Harare province, voters arrived in large numbers at various
polling centres.
Elections in the capital were generally peaceful save for a
few incidents. At the Nenyere polling
station in Mbare, voters scrambled to cast their ballots. One of the
fascinating battles in Harare province is the Harare South National Assembly
seat that is being contested by 13 candidates.
In Mbare constituency, ZANU PF Harare Youth League chairman
Cde Emmanuel Mahachi went against Cde Martin Matinyaya, while in Epworth South,
the incumbent Member of Parliament, Cde Zalerah Makari, was pitted against Cdes
Honour Taedzwa and Erick Pfumvute.
Harare West saw Cde Spencer Mabeka battle it out with Cdes
Tendayi Zindoga and Francis Mambo.
Kuwadzana East saw a considerable turnout of people,
especially elderly women.
In Dzivaresekwa, logistical challenges and uncertainties
over boundaries saw the electorate being transferred from one polling station
to another.
Chitungwiza saw thousands of voters casting their votes and
because of the high numbers, most wards in the dormitory town had to extend the
voting process beyond the 4pm cut off time to clear queues.
“We got our ballot
papers a bit late so the voting process only started around 12pm and to cut off
at 4pm would have been unfair to the voters because they were here as early as
seven o’clock in the morning,” said Cde Stewart Mhuru, the ZANU PF
Chitungwiza’s Nyadzonia B District Chair.
A voter in Unit N Mrs Christine Chibhamu said: “The voting process was flawless and peaceful;
we now wait for the results. Our day went well, we are happy because this time
everything was transparent, we were kept in the loop throughout the CVs
submission process. It made us feel that we were part of the procedure hence
motivating us to vote.”
Voting in Mashonaland East Province, where there are some
intriguing battles, started around 8 am.
For the National Assembly seat in Chikomba East, Cabinet
Ministers Felix Mhona and Cde Sekai Nzenza are facing off, with Cde Edmore
Kandira also battling for the same seat.
Marondera Central Constituency pits Cde Cleopas Kundiona
against Cde Lawrence Katsiru and Cde Dunmore Mutyambizi.
In Uzumba, veteran politician Cde Simbaneuta Mudarikwa is
being contested by broadcaster Cde Richmond Siyakurima and other candidates.
In an interview with The Sunday Mail elections team leader
for Mashonaland East Cde Paul Mangwana said:
“The voting process went well in all the polling stations
across the province. We had no issues of violence and our teams worked
professionally. There has been a huge turn-out of voters in most polling
stations that I visited. Our process shows that there is democracy within ZANU
PF and that the party is mature. People are using a secret ballot voting
method. At some polling stations, there was overwhelming turn out to an extent
that we ended up seeking support so that voters could be assisted quickly.”
Technical glitches including delays in arrival of ballot
papers and deployment of polling officers saw a late start to voting in
Mashonaland West.
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