News / National
Former prison guard to run for MP on an MDC-T ticket
08 Jan 2013 at 07:54hrs | Views
Shepherd Yuda, a former Harare prison guard currently based in England where he sought refuge amid fear and controversy, plans to return to Zimbabwe to contest for the upcoming elections in 2013. Many will remember Yuda when he made headlines after exposing Robert Mugabe's Zanu-PF alleged vote-rigging activities during the tightly-contested 2008 elections.
Yuda confirmed to ZimEye that as an MDC-T member who has served the party from his days as a prison guard between 1995 and 2008 when he fled the country, he now aspires to be an MP in Hurungwe East, He has been longing to occupy the prestigious legislators' post in his home town. He is among he various named individuals on the 2013 return train home carrying a squad list of UK aspiring diaspora returnees hoping to join politics.
The former government sentry is from Hurungwe East and will be contesting on Morgan Tsvangirai's Movement For Democratic Change ticket in his place of birth. He told ZimEye, "The MDC leadership in Harare are earnestly waiting for my return."
Yuda also ruled out any fears of possible torture or harassment by Mugabe's henchmen as retaliation for exposing bad governance and corruption. He made headlines when he embarrassed President Mugabe through an organised, recorded and exposed vote rigging activity that went viral in the media in 2008. The same election for Zimbabwe Presidency resulted in a run off after Morgan Tsvangirai came too close to lick the horns of power that year.
"I am not afraid of Mugabe at all and I am beyond confident that I will win," said Yuda adding that he had been invited by the party to represent them in Hurungwe East where his folks are yearning for his return and victory is assured.
"Kunodiwa ini mubarirwa, mukuriri wemumusha umu ndozivakuti mose modei," said Yuda. Meaning (My people need me as a son of the local soil because they know I already know what they want and no one else can serve them well enough)
Yuda's disgruntlement with Robert Mugabe's Zanu-PF party dates back to his days in 1999 at the formation of the MDC-T party. A few years later, he was accused of bombing the daily news printing press machine, an accusation he remains bitter about as it was unfounded and malicious. The charges were dropped after the state failed to prove the charges.
Yuda becomes the 9th person joining the list of surprise aspiring MPs mostly from the diaspora. Other aspirants include former Zimbabwe Mirror scribe Grace Kwinjeh (MDC-T), ex-journo, publisher and Makonde MP Kindness Paradza (Zanu-PF), ex-ZBC reporter former ZBC DJs Eric Knight and Ezra Sibanda (both MDC-T), ex-ZBC announcer James Maridadi (MDC-T) and former Daily News News editor Luke Tamborinyoka (MDC-T).
2013 is speculated to be 'an interesting election year' because of the diversity of fielded candidates and the injection of new players into the political field from both Zanu-PF, the various MDC parties and ZAPU
Yuda confirmed to ZimEye that as an MDC-T member who has served the party from his days as a prison guard between 1995 and 2008 when he fled the country, he now aspires to be an MP in Hurungwe East, He has been longing to occupy the prestigious legislators' post in his home town. He is among he various named individuals on the 2013 return train home carrying a squad list of UK aspiring diaspora returnees hoping to join politics.
The former government sentry is from Hurungwe East and will be contesting on Morgan Tsvangirai's Movement For Democratic Change ticket in his place of birth. He told ZimEye, "The MDC leadership in Harare are earnestly waiting for my return."
Yuda also ruled out any fears of possible torture or harassment by Mugabe's henchmen as retaliation for exposing bad governance and corruption. He made headlines when he embarrassed President Mugabe through an organised, recorded and exposed vote rigging activity that went viral in the media in 2008. The same election for Zimbabwe Presidency resulted in a run off after Morgan Tsvangirai came too close to lick the horns of power that year.
"Kunodiwa ini mubarirwa, mukuriri wemumusha umu ndozivakuti mose modei," said Yuda. Meaning (My people need me as a son of the local soil because they know I already know what they want and no one else can serve them well enough)
Yuda's disgruntlement with Robert Mugabe's Zanu-PF party dates back to his days in 1999 at the formation of the MDC-T party. A few years later, he was accused of bombing the daily news printing press machine, an accusation he remains bitter about as it was unfounded and malicious. The charges were dropped after the state failed to prove the charges.
Yuda becomes the 9th person joining the list of surprise aspiring MPs mostly from the diaspora. Other aspirants include former Zimbabwe Mirror scribe Grace Kwinjeh (MDC-T), ex-journo, publisher and Makonde MP Kindness Paradza (Zanu-PF), ex-ZBC reporter former ZBC DJs Eric Knight and Ezra Sibanda (both MDC-T), ex-ZBC announcer James Maridadi (MDC-T) and former Daily News News editor Luke Tamborinyoka (MDC-T).
2013 is speculated to be 'an interesting election year' because of the diversity of fielded candidates and the injection of new players into the political field from both Zanu-PF, the various MDC parties and ZAPU
Source - zimeye
