The
by-election, set for Ward 10 in Chikomba district, follows the death of
opposition Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) councillor Amos Reza, who lost
his life in a motorbike accident last month.
The complaint
was raised by Zanu PF’s Tafadzwa Mukandi against his independent rival Tawanda
Muchenje during a multi-party liaison committee meeting convened by Zec in
Chikomba on Tuesday.
Mukandi
complained against Muchenje’s campaign material, which features photographs of
both Chamisa and the late Reza, saying the move was deceptive and politically
opportunistic.
This
controversy is not new, as several opposition-recalled representatives have
used Chamisa’s image in their campaign posters as independent candidates,
arguing that they identify with his political ideology and vision.
After the CCC
party was hijacked by self-imposed secretary-general Sengezo Tshabangu in 2023,
many recalled representatives sought to ride on Chamisa’s popularity in their
bids to represent people in Parliament or local authority.
Ironically,
even Tshabangu himself has at one point claimed that Chamisa’s image was CCC
property and party logo, and continued to use the former opposition leader’s
image, even recently in his communiqué for his parliamentary caucus meeting.
NewsDay
Weekender established that a heated debate has erupted between Zanu PF
supporters and their opposition rivals over Chamisa’s image use.
“During the
meeting with Zec, Mukandi first inquired from the Zec officials what an
independent candidate meant,” a source told NewsDay Weekender.
“He later
raised the complaint that the concept of independence was contrary to what
Muchenje was doing as he was riding on other people’s coattails through the use
of their images.”
During the
meeting, NewsDay Weekender heard, Muchenje’s chief election agent Emmanuel
Punungwe said he did not see any problem why Zanu PF should complain about
Muchenje using Chamisa’s image.
He said that as
contestants, they would use various strategies to win against their rivals,
including using content that would help them win the electorate.
Mukandi
confirmed his complaint to NewsDay Weekender.
“If he
(Muchenje) is truly independent, he should be using his picture, not riding on
the popularity of others,” Mukandi said.
He argued that
the posters could mislead voters into thinking Muchenje was aligned with
Chamisa or officially endorsed by the opposition, which was not the case.
“I wanted to
understand from Zec what it means to be an independent candidate,” he said.
“I am asking on
behalf of the electorate because it doesn’t make sense. We all know that the
late Reza was a CCC councillor.
“Does it make
sense that someone calls himself independent, yet he takes a picture of a
well-known opposition member and puts it on his campaign poster?”
Mukandi
complained further: “He claims he does not have a party, yet he puts Chamisa’s
picture, and there have been claims that he (Chamisa) was forming the Blue
Movement. Does it make sense?
“We feel it
will confuse the electorate. They should stick to the picture they submitted to
Zec, which is Muchenje’s picture. I am a Zanu PF candidate. I use Zanu PF logos
and regalia, not any other party. That should be the same with Muchenje.”
Muchenje said
Zec had distanced itself from the feud.
“But Zec told
us they have no issues with it,” he said.
“The people
whose pictures are used should complain.
“But in the
future, if there is any problem, we will just pin it on the independent parties
because they are the ones associating them with everyone.”
In an interview
with NewsDay Weekender, Zec Chikomba district elections officer Todd Chibengwa
said: “We did not receive a written complaint. If that is the case, we don’t
have control over the content candidates use during their campaigns.
“If there is a
complaint against the use of pictures, is it not that it should be directed to
those whose pictures are being used?”
Mukandi lost to
Reza in the 2023 general elections.
This is his
third bid for the local authority seat after winning the March 26, 2022
by-election. Newsday
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