ZANU PF has bagged five wards ahead of the 3rd of February 2024 by election after CCC candidates were disqualified from contesting by the High Court of Zimbabwe.
The ruling party capitalised on the mayhem currently devouring the opposition to bag the five wards.
CCC is engulfed in a tug of war with it’s president Nelson Chamisa losing grip of the party to Interim Secretary General, Sengezo Tshabangu.
The seats include urban constituencies which gives the ruling party the opportunity to bring development to towns and cities which has been lacking over the past two decades.
CCC aligned to Sengezo Tshabangu failed to field candidates in the five wards.
ZEC Chief Elections Officer Utoile Silaigwana declared the five Zanu PF candidates as winners for the wards.
“The public is hereby informed that following the High Court Order issued on the 19th of January 2024 under Case number HCH197/24, the nomination of Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) party candidates specified in Schedule 1 below who had been nominated for elections in by-elections scheduled for the 3rd of February 2024 has been set aside,” Silaigwana declared.
The Chief Elections Officer declared the ZANU PF candidates duly elected.
“Consequently, the public is hereby notified, in terms of section 125 (4)(a) of the Electoral Act (Chapter 2:13), that since only one candidate has been duly nominated for each of the specified vacant wards, the persons specified in Schedule 2 below have been duly elected as members of the local authorities with effect from 3 February 2024.”
The candidates who have been duly elected are as follows:
Costen Mombe (Chiredzi Ward 6), Brighton Nyashadzashe Mahiya (Chiredzi Ward 7), Abdurrahman Sapa (Harare Ward 5), Rufaro Daniel Matsika (Harare Ward 18) and Simbarashe Ngarande (Manyame RDC).
By elections are due on the 3rd of February 2024.
The ruling party is poised to win the by election.
The electorate is fed up with the infighting in the opposition outfit.
It’s time to correct mistakes of the 23rd to the 24th of August 2023.