Zanu-PF poised to reclaim parly seats

The governing Zanu-PF party is set to beat a fringe opposition party in a special vote for a parliamentary seat next week.

The March 5 vote, for a seat in Mhondoro-Mubaira one of 210 in Parliament's lower house, in the first big electoral test this year and will be keenly watched.

A presidential proclamation has ordered the holding of a by-election to fill in the vacant Mhondoro-Mubaira constituency seat, formerly held by Sylvester Nguni, a key ally of ousted Vice President Joice Mujuru.

Nguni lost the seat in terms of Section 129(1)(k) of the constitution after being expelled from Zanu OF for links to Mujuru's opposition Zimbabwe's People First Party.