News / National
MDC-T councillors votes Zanu-PF mayors
17 Sep 2013 at 02:34hrs | Views
MDC-T councillors in three local authorities in the Midlands and Matabeleland provinces yesterday reportedly dumped their party's nominees to vote for Zanu-PF mayors, consolidating the revolutionary party's dominance in local Government countrywide.
Zanu-PF now controls almost all local authorities, except Harare, Chitungwiza and Bulawayo.
There are 92 rural and urban councils countrywide comprising 1 958 wards, of which 1 496 were won by Zanu-PF, while a paltry 442 went to MDC-T.
Yesterday, Zanu-PF won Kwekwe, Redcliff and Victoria Falls mayoral contests after MDC-T councillors voted for Zanu-PF candidates Cdes Matenda Madzoke, Freddy Kapuya and Sifiso Mpofu, confirming the view that all is not well in MDC-T which marked its 14th anniversary in a virtually empty Sakubva Stadium in Mutare.
In Kwekwe, Zanu-PF candidate Madzoke garnered nine votes against the MDC-T's five.
Kwekwe has 14 wards evenly split seven apiece between Zanu-PF and MDC-T, which means two MDC-T councillors voted for the Zanu-PF mayoral candidate.
Zanu-PF repeated the feat in Redcliff where Kapuya, a renowned businessman, got five votes with the MDC-T's Mr Takura Chikwiri managing four.
Redcliff has nine wards, of which two are held by Zanu-PF and seven by MDC-T, meaning three MDC-T councillors voted for Zanu-PF.
In Victoria Falls, Zanu-PF won three wards out of 10 in the July 31 harmonised elections, but still had Mpofu elected mayor for the resort town after garnering six wards against MDC-T candidate Ms Margaret Valley's four, which means three MDC-T councillors voted for a Zanu-PF candidate.
Ms Valley, a businesswoman, was imposed by the MDC-T leadership.
Zanu-PF welcomed the development yesterday, saying it was a clear indication that even MDC-T members appreciated the party's pro-people policies.
MDC-T, which blames its crushing defeat to Zanu-PF on alleged poll fraud, was yesterday shell-shocked by the turn of events. This comes in the wake of an embarrassing snub MDC-T suffered in Mutare where they failed to fill the 5000-seat Sakubva Stadium for its 14 anniversary celebrations.
MDC-T spokesperson Mr Douglas Mwonzora said the party would soon institute an investigation to establish why its councillors, the foot soldiers for any political party, had voted for Zanu-PF.
"We have not yet received a full report of what transpired. It will be surprising if MDC-T councillors would vote for Zanu-PF mayors. It is strange. We are waiting for a full report from our people on the ground. We will look into how voting went. Any political party worth its salt would look into that," he said.
Mr Mwonzora slammed MDC-T councillors who dumped the party's mayoral candidates to vote for Zanu-PF.
"If people were not happy with external mayors (unelected mayors the MDC-T had initially imposed), they were given an opportunity to vote for an internal mayor. Those who voted for Zanu-PF are people who do not want democracy as they were given an opportunity to elect among themselves," he said.
Mr Mwonzora tried to downplay the matter saying only three councillors had voted for Zanu-PF in Redcliff and two in Kwekwe, figures he dismissed as ''insignificant''.
"Three is not a big enough number to make a generalisation and conclusions that all is not w ell within the MDC," he said.
Zanu-PF, was of a totally different view.
"We welcome this significant development. It augurs well for the party and shows that even our rivals are now realising that it is only Zanu-PF that can deliver. It shows people are now supporting Zanu-PF. We need to continue working with the people and working on programmes that attract opposition members. We should be able to control Harare and Bulawayo soon," Zanu-PF national spokesperson Rugare Gumbo said.
Redcliff mayor elect Kapuya branded his win a miracle.
"It is a miracle. I attribute it to the councillors who did not use party politics and elected me to be their leader. They looked for someone who can take Redcliff to the next stage. The councillors must be saluted for realising the potential in me," he said
There were indications last night that the MDC-T had since started threatening its councillors in Redcliff and Kwekwe for "selling out" with denigrating text messages being sent to their mobile phones.
Political analyst Mr Gabriel Chaibva, said councillors who elected Zanu-PF mayors deserved a pat on the back.
"The councillors in Redcliff and Kwekwe must be applauded for rising above petty party political differences and putting national interests first and foremost. In all fairness looking at the calibre of contestants for the mayor, it is quite clear that Clr Kapuya - the Redcliff mayor elect - was the best candidate and similarly Madzoke was equally the best of the candidates. I am not surprised by the wisdom of the councillors," he said.
Though MDC-T leader Mr Morgan Tsvangirai continues alleging rigging to explain his dismal loss, the party's Matabeleland North province has since conceded defeat saying a poor manifesto, shambolic structures and imposition of candidates cost them victory on July 31.
Zanu-PF now controls almost all local authorities, except Harare, Chitungwiza and Bulawayo.
There are 92 rural and urban councils countrywide comprising 1 958 wards, of which 1 496 were won by Zanu-PF, while a paltry 442 went to MDC-T.
Yesterday, Zanu-PF won Kwekwe, Redcliff and Victoria Falls mayoral contests after MDC-T councillors voted for Zanu-PF candidates Cdes Matenda Madzoke, Freddy Kapuya and Sifiso Mpofu, confirming the view that all is not well in MDC-T which marked its 14th anniversary in a virtually empty Sakubva Stadium in Mutare.
In Kwekwe, Zanu-PF candidate Madzoke garnered nine votes against the MDC-T's five.
Kwekwe has 14 wards evenly split seven apiece between Zanu-PF and MDC-T, which means two MDC-T councillors voted for the Zanu-PF mayoral candidate.
Zanu-PF repeated the feat in Redcliff where Kapuya, a renowned businessman, got five votes with the MDC-T's Mr Takura Chikwiri managing four.
Redcliff has nine wards, of which two are held by Zanu-PF and seven by MDC-T, meaning three MDC-T councillors voted for Zanu-PF.
In Victoria Falls, Zanu-PF won three wards out of 10 in the July 31 harmonised elections, but still had Mpofu elected mayor for the resort town after garnering six wards against MDC-T candidate Ms Margaret Valley's four, which means three MDC-T councillors voted for a Zanu-PF candidate.
Ms Valley, a businesswoman, was imposed by the MDC-T leadership.
Zanu-PF welcomed the development yesterday, saying it was a clear indication that even MDC-T members appreciated the party's pro-people policies.
MDC-T, which blames its crushing defeat to Zanu-PF on alleged poll fraud, was yesterday shell-shocked by the turn of events. This comes in the wake of an embarrassing snub MDC-T suffered in Mutare where they failed to fill the 5000-seat Sakubva Stadium for its 14 anniversary celebrations.
MDC-T spokesperson Mr Douglas Mwonzora said the party would soon institute an investigation to establish why its councillors, the foot soldiers for any political party, had voted for Zanu-PF.
Mr Mwonzora slammed MDC-T councillors who dumped the party's mayoral candidates to vote for Zanu-PF.
"If people were not happy with external mayors (unelected mayors the MDC-T had initially imposed), they were given an opportunity to vote for an internal mayor. Those who voted for Zanu-PF are people who do not want democracy as they were given an opportunity to elect among themselves," he said.
Mr Mwonzora tried to downplay the matter saying only three councillors had voted for Zanu-PF in Redcliff and two in Kwekwe, figures he dismissed as ''insignificant''.
"Three is not a big enough number to make a generalisation and conclusions that all is not w ell within the MDC," he said.
Zanu-PF, was of a totally different view.
"We welcome this significant development. It augurs well for the party and shows that even our rivals are now realising that it is only Zanu-PF that can deliver. It shows people are now supporting Zanu-PF. We need to continue working with the people and working on programmes that attract opposition members. We should be able to control Harare and Bulawayo soon," Zanu-PF national spokesperson Rugare Gumbo said.
Redcliff mayor elect Kapuya branded his win a miracle.
"It is a miracle. I attribute it to the councillors who did not use party politics and elected me to be their leader. They looked for someone who can take Redcliff to the next stage. The councillors must be saluted for realising the potential in me," he said
There were indications last night that the MDC-T had since started threatening its councillors in Redcliff and Kwekwe for "selling out" with denigrating text messages being sent to their mobile phones.
Political analyst Mr Gabriel Chaibva, said councillors who elected Zanu-PF mayors deserved a pat on the back.
"The councillors in Redcliff and Kwekwe must be applauded for rising above petty party political differences and putting national interests first and foremost. In all fairness looking at the calibre of contestants for the mayor, it is quite clear that Clr Kapuya - the Redcliff mayor elect - was the best candidate and similarly Madzoke was equally the best of the candidates. I am not surprised by the wisdom of the councillors," he said.
Though MDC-T leader Mr Morgan Tsvangirai continues alleging rigging to explain his dismal loss, the party's Matabeleland North province has since conceded defeat saying a poor manifesto, shambolic structures and imposition of candidates cost them victory on July 31.
Source - herald
