Auxilia Mnangagwa's parliament plans faces challenges

PLANS by Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa's wife, Auxilia, to inherit her husband's Chirumanzu-Zibagwe parliamentary seat could hit a challenge amid reports that Zanu-PF members in the constituency had their own preferred candidate.

This came out on Saturday after Mnangagwa officially announced his wife's candidature at a constituency meeting in Chirumanzu.

So far, according to the Zanu-PF Midlands provincial leadership, three party members, among them Auxilia, have submitted their CVs for consideration as candidates.

The seat fell vacant following Mnangagwa's appointment as Vice-President last month.

Speaking to NewsDay in separate interviews after the meeting, party officials said said that though Auxilia was tipped to take over, there was great resistance from the local leadership who felt the move was undemocratic.

However, other Mnangagwa loyalists among them politburo member Edison Chakanyuka, Midlands acting provincial chairman Kizito Chivamba and Chief Chirumhanzu openly campaigned for Auxilia to take over the constituency.

"A mountain should be replaced by another mountain. What we want as a province is for the VP to remain here hence we want someone he can work with to continue the projects that he had started. If you look at yourself, can you do that? We don't want people who just say we want to stand. You heard what women called for here," Chivamba said.

"People's CVs should continue to be brought because there are others who brought theirs after hearing our call. So far we have three and we will look at them on Wednesday," he said.