'Degrees not a passport into Parly'

MUTARE West Zanu-PF parliamentary candidate Teedzayi Muchimwe, who recently defeated National Scholarships minister Christopher Mushohwe in the ruling party's primary elections, has said education was not a passport to be elected into Parliament.

Muchimwe, a member of the Johanne Marange Apostolic church, told NewsDay on the sidelines of the official opening of the Mutare High Court session in the eastern border city on Monday that he would win the seat for the ruling party in the upcoming harmonised elections.

The aspiring MP is one of several political upstarts who stunned Zanu-PF bigwigs in the just-ended shambolic primary elections.

Muchimwe said he was also eager to assist villagers in the constituency through developmental projects.

"The main problem we are facing is that there are some people who believe that you need to be educated to get into Parliament. Zanu-PF is a party of masses, not education. We won the independence because the masses voted and fight for it,'' he said.

"I am a judge in the Johanne Marange Apostolic church and I am promising people in my constituency that I am going to win the seat for Zanu-PF at all costs. I am promising my people developmental projects such a poultry and gardening, rearing of cattle, among many others."

He added: "There are people who say that Johanne Marange church helped me to win the election. No! It's the people of Mutare West who voted in the elections.''

Muchimwe said he has been meeting people in the constituency to get their views on what they expected from him.

Mushohwe, a former Information minister, is one of the most educated Cabinet members in President Emmerson Mnangagwa government, being a holder of a PhD degree.