News / Local
Zanu-PF's 'Lady of Steel' vows to humiliate Ziyambi in Zvimba West poll re-run
14 Apr 2023 at 07:45hrs | Views
THE remaining candidate challenging Justice Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi in the upcoming Zanu-PF Zvimba West primary election re-run has vowed to hand him a humiliating defeat in the second round of voting to choose a candidate to represent the party in harmonised elections expected in July.
Mercy Maruva-Dinha has accused Ziyambi of abandoning the electorate and failing to spearhead meaningful development in the constituency, which he served two consecutive five-year terms.
She and Ziyambi square up again this weekend in a re-run after the other first-round candidate, Gifford Gomwe, curiously withdrew from the race opting to back the minister.
The development set tongues wagging amid fears Gomwe and his supporters could have fallen prey to vote-buying.
He cited the need to back incumbent legislator Ziyambi "for the sake of unity and development."
In the first round held recently, Maruva-Dinha polled 4 104 outsmarting Ziyambi who tallied 4 074 while Gomwe scrapped just 619 votes.
Zanu-PF Politburo nullified the results following widespread gun violence, among other electoral malpractices.
In an interview with NewZimbabwe.com Wednesday, Maruva-Dinha said she had done her groundwork in-order to defeat the powerful Cabinet minister in a free-and-fair election.
"So far l have been conducting peaceful campaigns and everything is going on well," she said.
"I am not worried about Gomwe's withdrawal from the race and that he now supports Ziyambi. In-fact, he had a paltry 619 votes, but interestingly his supporters have pledged to vote for me instead.
"I might not know exactly why the people of Zvimba West no longer want the minister who has served them for more than 10 years, but what l know is that he was lacking and had his shortcomings.
"The electorate wants an MP who resides among the people, and who comes back to them. The problem with most senior politicians is they dump voters soon after elections only to return after five years," Maruva-Dinha lamented.
"As an MP, you should be there with the people when they celebrate as well as when they mourn…you must also bring development if resources permit."
Turning to her campaign trail, the aspiring MP said she lacked financial muscle to compete with Ziyambi, who allegedly dished out motorbikes, bicycles and other trinkets.
"I am not rich or financially sound like my fellow candidate who is buying voters with drinks and biscuits. He even gave village heads money. Didn't you hear he bought motorbikes and bicycles (to get votes)?
"I am not moneyed neither am l a top official who can easily get funding from elsewhere. I am an ordinary person struggling to buy fuel for my campaign teams to go around mobilising voters," she said.
Maruva-Dinha, who is wife to former long-serving Mashonaland Central Governor, Martin Dinha, said her kinsmen from the Jari area of Zvimba pushed her to contest for MP.
"I was motivated to contest for Zvimba West MP parliamentary seat because that's my home area, my roots.
"Besides, I am Zanu-PF Women's League provincial secretary for legal affairs and my colleagues and general electorate asked me to contest. The people are the ones that inspired me.
"Fellow women want a female leader who relates with them. Also, Zvimba West is my home, and if the people ask me to get into power l will answer to the call to rescue my kinsmen. I am certainly going to be in office," Maruva-Dinha declared.
The aspiring legislator, who comes from a family of lawyers including her husband and children, runs a reputable law firm.
Hailing from Jari communal lands, Maruva-Dinha popularly known as "Mother" is a favourite ahead of Ziyambi who is rumourly from Masvingo and whose only qualification for candidacy is a family farm in the Zowa area.
A snap survey by NewZimbabwe.com at Murombedzi Growth Point confirmed the stage is set for a bruising political fight in the primary election re-run, in which Maruva-Dinha is tipped to cause another major upset.
The justice minister's greatest undoing, according to sources, is his pomposity and aloofness from the electorate that he supposedly serves.
Mercy Maruva-Dinha has accused Ziyambi of abandoning the electorate and failing to spearhead meaningful development in the constituency, which he served two consecutive five-year terms.
She and Ziyambi square up again this weekend in a re-run after the other first-round candidate, Gifford Gomwe, curiously withdrew from the race opting to back the minister.
The development set tongues wagging amid fears Gomwe and his supporters could have fallen prey to vote-buying.
He cited the need to back incumbent legislator Ziyambi "for the sake of unity and development."
In the first round held recently, Maruva-Dinha polled 4 104 outsmarting Ziyambi who tallied 4 074 while Gomwe scrapped just 619 votes.
Zanu-PF Politburo nullified the results following widespread gun violence, among other electoral malpractices.
In an interview with NewZimbabwe.com Wednesday, Maruva-Dinha said she had done her groundwork in-order to defeat the powerful Cabinet minister in a free-and-fair election.
"So far l have been conducting peaceful campaigns and everything is going on well," she said.
"I am not worried about Gomwe's withdrawal from the race and that he now supports Ziyambi. In-fact, he had a paltry 619 votes, but interestingly his supporters have pledged to vote for me instead.
"I might not know exactly why the people of Zvimba West no longer want the minister who has served them for more than 10 years, but what l know is that he was lacking and had his shortcomings.
"The electorate wants an MP who resides among the people, and who comes back to them. The problem with most senior politicians is they dump voters soon after elections only to return after five years," Maruva-Dinha lamented.
Turning to her campaign trail, the aspiring MP said she lacked financial muscle to compete with Ziyambi, who allegedly dished out motorbikes, bicycles and other trinkets.
"I am not rich or financially sound like my fellow candidate who is buying voters with drinks and biscuits. He even gave village heads money. Didn't you hear he bought motorbikes and bicycles (to get votes)?
"I am not moneyed neither am l a top official who can easily get funding from elsewhere. I am an ordinary person struggling to buy fuel for my campaign teams to go around mobilising voters," she said.
Maruva-Dinha, who is wife to former long-serving Mashonaland Central Governor, Martin Dinha, said her kinsmen from the Jari area of Zvimba pushed her to contest for MP.
"I was motivated to contest for Zvimba West MP parliamentary seat because that's my home area, my roots.
"Besides, I am Zanu-PF Women's League provincial secretary for legal affairs and my colleagues and general electorate asked me to contest. The people are the ones that inspired me.
"Fellow women want a female leader who relates with them. Also, Zvimba West is my home, and if the people ask me to get into power l will answer to the call to rescue my kinsmen. I am certainly going to be in office," Maruva-Dinha declared.
The aspiring legislator, who comes from a family of lawyers including her husband and children, runs a reputable law firm.
Hailing from Jari communal lands, Maruva-Dinha popularly known as "Mother" is a favourite ahead of Ziyambi who is rumourly from Masvingo and whose only qualification for candidacy is a family farm in the Zowa area.
A snap survey by NewZimbabwe.com at Murombedzi Growth Point confirmed the stage is set for a bruising political fight in the primary election re-run, in which Maruva-Dinha is tipped to cause another major upset.
The justice minister's greatest undoing, according to sources, is his pomposity and aloofness from the electorate that he supposedly serves.
Source - newzimbabwe
