Wallace Ruzvidzo-Herald Reporter
ZANU PF will tomorrow have its primary elections to elect candidates who will represent the ruling party in the December 9 by-elections.
The by-elections were necessitated after the recall of 15 CCC legislators by the opposition party’s interim secretary-general Mr Sengezo Tshabangu last month.
Subsequently, President Mnangagwa proclaimed the date for the by-elections as stipulated in the Electoral Act.
The nine vacant constituencies are: Beitbridge West, Binga North, Bulawayo South, Cowdray Park, Lobengula-Magwegwe, Lupane East, Mabvuku-Tafara, Mpopoma-Mzilikazi and Nketa.
Zanu PF will hold primaries tomorrow for Cowdray Park, Lobengula-Magwegwe, Lupane East and Mpopoma-Mzilikazi constituencies.
Addressing a press conference in Bulawayo yesterday, Zanu PF National Political Commissar Cde Mike Bimha said the ruling party was adequately prepared to hold the internal polls and subsequently the by-elections.
Cde Bimha revealed that the primary elections would be conducted at Ward Centres which would serve as polling stations.
He said ballot material as well as polling and presiding officers would be deployed from the Zanu PF headquarters.
“I just wanted to give you more information on our impending by-elections as you are aware we had recalls from CCC which in effect created vacancies hence we are now going to have primaries in preparation for elections which will come.
“As Zanu PF we are going to have primary elections this Saturday 4 November and they are going to be held in various constituencies.
“The elections will be held at ward centres so they automatically become polling centres.
“The polling officers and presiding officers will be provided by Zanu PF headquarters. Head office will provide ballot papers which will have serial numbers as well as the names of the candidates,” he said.
Zanu PF, said Cde Bimha, had been ready for the by-elections before the date had been proclaimed by President Mnangagwa.
This preparedness, he said, only served to show the strength within the ruling party’s structures.
“We are always confident and we were even ready before these by-elections were announced and the reason why we are always confident is that as a party we operate through our structures and those structures are strong.
“They are even stronger now because we are just coming from a campaign period,” he said.
Cde Bimha also revealed the constituencies and aspiring candidates to battle it out on Saturday.
“Cowdray Park, Bulawayo Province, we have Eddington Mpofu, Tholakele Ndlovu, Japhet Phuti, Arthur Mujeyi and Tripod Muyengwa.
“In Mpopoma-Mzilikazi constituency which is again under Bulawayo Province, we have Admire Masikati, Dzingai Kamamba, Nehemiah Tsoliwa and Violet Mhute.
“In Lobengula-Magwegwe constituency, we have Godwin Mugumba, Butholezwe Ndlovu, Enock Madzimure and Menziwa Dube.
“In Lupane East constituency, there is Thubelihle Nkomazana, Phathisiswe Masanu-Dube, Mbongeni Dube and Dumaza Moyo.
“We do not have primary elections in Bulawayo South and Nketa. In Harare province, we also do not have primary elections in Mabvuku-Tafara and Binga North in Matabeleland North”.
