News / National
Zanu-PF trounces MDC-T in by election
06 Oct 2014 at 08:14hrs | Views
THE embattled MDC-T party led by Morgan Tsvangirai lost Chitungwiza Ward 25 by-elections over the weekend giving the ruling party yet another sure-sign that it has slowly retaining the one party-state which it enjoyed before the MDC emerged as a strong opposition in early 2000.
The ruling party's win in Chitungwiza follows President Mugabe's recent call in an address to Zanu-PF supporters at the Harare International Airport on his return from the 69th Session of the United Nations General Assembly last week that Harare province should work towards reclaiming lost seats.
In the latest win, Simpison Mhike garnered 993 votes against a paltry 91 votes for Kenneth Chinyaure of the MDC-T, with the ruling party claiming more than 80 percent of the total votes cast.
The MDC-T was dominant in urban constituencies and wards since its formation more than a decade ago.
MDC-T loss in by-elections held after last year's elections have cast doubts on claims of vote rigging by Zanu PF which has long been used by the opposition to discredit elections results especially where Zanu PF.
In the parliamentary elections last year, Zanu-PF won with more than a two thirds majority, with President Mugabe garnering 61,09 percent of the presidential vote to MDC-T leader Mr Morgan Tsvangirai's 33,94 percent.
In the Chitungwiza Ward 25 by-election, independent candidate Cobbern Marwisa got 63 votes, while another independent, Tapiwa Zengeya, managed 50, in an election in which none of the contestants troubled Mhike, who is popularly known as Madzibaba from the Madzibaba Nzira apostolic sect.
The Chitungwiza by-election was held following the dismissal of Fredrick Mabamba of Zanu-PF on charges of gross mismanagement of council funds and property.
This is the fourth by-election in an urban constituency since the 2013 harmonised elections and in all of them Zanu-PF asserted its authority either by reclaiming or retaining the seats.
The ruling party's win in Chitungwiza follows President Mugabe's recent call in an address to Zanu-PF supporters at the Harare International Airport on his return from the 69th Session of the United Nations General Assembly last week that Harare province should work towards reclaiming lost seats.
In the latest win, Simpison Mhike garnered 993 votes against a paltry 91 votes for Kenneth Chinyaure of the MDC-T, with the ruling party claiming more than 80 percent of the total votes cast.
The MDC-T was dominant in urban constituencies and wards since its formation more than a decade ago.
MDC-T loss in by-elections held after last year's elections have cast doubts on claims of vote rigging by Zanu PF which has long been used by the opposition to discredit elections results especially where Zanu PF.
In the parliamentary elections last year, Zanu-PF won with more than a two thirds majority, with President Mugabe garnering 61,09 percent of the presidential vote to MDC-T leader Mr Morgan Tsvangirai's 33,94 percent.
In the Chitungwiza Ward 25 by-election, independent candidate Cobbern Marwisa got 63 votes, while another independent, Tapiwa Zengeya, managed 50, in an election in which none of the contestants troubled Mhike, who is popularly known as Madzibaba from the Madzibaba Nzira apostolic sect.
The Chitungwiza by-election was held following the dismissal of Fredrick Mabamba of Zanu-PF on charges of gross mismanagement of council funds and property.
This is the fourth by-election in an urban constituency since the 2013 harmonised elections and in all of them Zanu-PF asserted its authority either by reclaiming or retaining the seats.
Source - The Herald
