Zanu PF candidates in the Chirumanzu-Zibagwe and Mt Darwin West by-elections have, as expected, romped to victory by huge margins.
BY BLESSED MHLANGA
Smaller opposition parties which contested failed to make an impact. Results were announced yesterday.
The recently formed Transform Zimbabwe (TZ) fared much better than the seasoned National Constitutional Assembly which has been in existence for many years, albeit as an advocate for constitutional change in the country.
Auxillia Mnangagwa won the one-sided Chirumanzu-Zibagwe constituency by-elections to replace her husband Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa.
Constituency elections officer Joshua Mhuno declared Mnangagwa the winner after she polled 16 092 votes. Her closest rival was Musambasi Abigail of TZ with 456 votes. National Constitutional Assembly (NCA) candidate Mutodza Munashe polled the lowest with just 79 votes, followed by Gadzamoyo Dewah of Good People’s Movement with 86 votes.
Independent candidate Willard Kanoti polled a total of 257 votes. A total of 347 ballots were spoilt.
Other candidates were not present or represented when the results were announced at 9am yesterday and only Zanu PF chief elections officer Goodwills Shiri and NCA signed for the results before they were released.
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Shiri said his party was not worried that their figures dipped from 18 000 polled by Mnangagwa in 2013 at a time only 20 000 voters were registered.
The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC), announced that over 10 000 new voters registered for the by-elections, bringing the total to 34 000 registered voters.
Auxillia said she was humbled by her victory and promised to deliver on her election promises which included securing funding for income generating projects in rural Chirumanzu-Zibagwe.
In Mt Darwin West, Zanu PF’s Barnwell Seremwe won after garnering 18 315 votes.
Transform Zimbabwe’s Fungai Kennedy polled 302 votes and Matigu Reuben of NCA got a paltry 216 votes. The seat was declared vacant following the re-appointment of Joice Mujuru as Vice-President in 2013. Mujuru however, has since been axed from government by President Robert Mugabe on allegations that she was plotting to topple him.
