Four vie for Kereke's vacant Parly seat

The Zanu PF Masvingo provincial executive has whittled the number of aspiring candidates to represent Zanu-PF in the forthcoming Bikita West National Assembly by-election from 11 to four after most of them were disqualified for failing to meet the revolutionary party's criteria.

Four aspiring candidates namely Retired Major General Gibson Mashingaidze, provincial executive member Jeffrey Murire, ruling party district chairman in Bikita Joshua Dhewa and Women's League provincial executive member Beauty Chabaya had their curriculum vitae's accepted by the party to contest primary elections.

The by-election will be held to fill the vacancy left after the incarceration of former Bikita West legislator Munyaradzi Kereke for 10 years after being convicted of raping a young girl.

Kereke, who was also former advisor to ex-Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe Governor Dr Gideon Gono, was elected Bikita West National Assembly member during the 2013 harmonised elections.

zanu-pf Masvingo provincial secretary for the commissariat, Jappy Jaboon, yesterday said four aspiring candidates have been cleared by the provincial executive directorate.

Jaboon said names of the approved candidates have since been forwarded to the national commissariat for endorsement.

''Initially, we received CVs from 11 aspiring candidates who wanted to represent zanu-pf in the coming by-election in Bikita West, but seven of them were disqualified for various reasons with the majority failing to meet the party's criteria of having served in the party structures for more than five years,'' he said.

Jaboon said the ruling party was confident of retaining the Bikita West seat, saying Masvingo province was now a ''one party province".

It was solidly behind the leadership of President Mugabe and zanu-pf.

One of the candidates, Elias Musakwa, was dropped for allegedly being linked to the Zimbabwe People First project fronted by former Vice President Dr Joice Mujuru.