The race to fill the vacant Seke parliamentary seat has intensified as eight Zanu PF candidates have registered their interest in contesting for the position.
The aspiring candidates submitted their curriculum vitae at the party’s Mashonaland East provincial offices, signaling their determination to secure the seat.
The vacancy arose following the recall of Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) legislator Willard Madzimbamuto by Sengezo Tshabangu, the self-imposed interim secretary-general of the party. In the August 23 harmonized elections, Madzimbamuto emerged victorious, defeating Zanu PF candidate Munyaradzi Kashambe.
Initially, eleven Zanu PF candidates had expressed their interest in the seat, but two withdrew at the last minute, leaving eight contenders in the race. Among the prominent candidates likely to battle it out in the party’s primary elections are Munyaradzi Kashambe, Kelvin Mutsvairo, a central committee member and former provincial youth league chairperson, businesswoman Sharon Mugabe-Garwe, and Willard Chirunga.
During a Zanu PF provincial co-ordinating committee meeting, Kudzai Majuru, the vice-chairperson, announced that all the candidates’ curriculum vitae had been received and would be sent to the party headquarters in Harare for final vetting. Majuru stated, “We have received all the CVs and we did not condemn any. All the CVs are going to Harare for final verification. The successful candidates will be announced in due course.”
Following the defeat in the August 23 elections, some Zanu PF members criticized Chief Seke, Stanley Chimanikire, accusing him of failing to rally support from his subjects for Zanu PF candidates.
In addition to the Seke constituency, six candidates have submitted their curriculum vitae for the Goromonzi South constituency. Notable contenders include former legislator and ex-Cabinet Minister Petronella Kagonye, businessman Washington Zhanda, and Mabasa Ditima.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa has set February 24 as the date for the next round of by-elections, following the by-elections scheduled for today.
As the competition intensifies among Zanu PF candidates, the party faces the task of selecting the most suitable candidate to represent Seke constituency. The outcome of the primary elections will shape the political landscape in the area and set the stage for the upcoming by-elections in February.
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Source My Zimbabwe
