Opposition boycotts Mwenezi East seat, Zanu-PF grabs it

Zanu-PF has retained the Mwenezi East parliamentary seat after its candidate Joshua Moyo was nominated unopposed at the Nomination Court sitting at the Masvingo Magistrates' Court yesterday.

Candidates in Marondera East and Mbire will have to contest in by-elections on September 19 after contenders from other political parties successfully filed their papers at the nomination courts at Marondera Magistrates' Court and Bindura Magistrates' Court, respectively.

Just like in the June 1o by-elections, MDC-T did not field candidates in the forthcoming by-elections.

The three seats fell vacant after Messrs Kudakwashe Bhasikiti (Mwenezi East), Ray Kaukonde (Marondera Central) and David Butau (Mbire) were expelled from Parliament after Zanu-PF wrote to the Speaker disowning them.

The trio was first expelled from Zanu-PF for working with a cabal led by expelled former Vice President Joice Mujuru which was angling to remove President Mugabe unconstitutionally.

In Marondera Central, Zanu-PF provincial secretary for Administration for Mashonaland East Lawrence Lavious Katsiru will contest against Ms Wadzanayi Mabika (National Constitutional Assembly), Mr Solomon Makaza (Transform Zimbabwe) and Mr Kingdom Nyika (Freedom Front).

In Mbire, Zanu-PF candidate Douglas Karoro will contest against Mr Kudzanai Gondo (Transform Zimbabwe) and Mr Njabulo Sibanda (National Constitutional Assembly).

For Mwenezi East, Masvingo provincial elections officer Mr Zex Zirabada Pudurai said Moyo was the only candidate who had filed his papers from the time the nomination court opened at 10am up to its closure at 4pm.