Chingosho sweats over Zanu-PF primaries

FORMER Local Government deputy minister, Christopher Chingosho will be fighting it out with seven aspiring candidates who are eyeing his Headlands constituency in Zanu-PF primary elections slated for next month.

"So far the challenge I have is that seven candidates have filed their CVs to fight me in the primary elections next month. However, I am very confident that I am going to win the primaries," Chingosho said in a recent interview with NewsDay.

He won the seat in 2014 in a by-election following the expulsion of former Zanu-PF secretary for administration, Didymus Mutasa, on charges of plotting to topple ex-President Robert Mugabe.

Chingosho accused his detractors of falsely alleging that he had failed to implement meaningful developmental projects in the constituency.

"I have done a lot of projects, we are rehabilitating the Chinyudze Road and we are building a classroom block at Batanai Primary School and also we are giving computers to some disadvantaged schools in the constituency," he said.

Chingosho has also been accused of trying to elbow out aspiring candidates.

"Chingosho has been trying to elbow out some aspiring candidates, so that they do not take part in primary elections by using some members to manipulate the process,'' a party insider said.

Another source said since taking over from Mutasa in 2014, Chingosho had not done anything for the constituency other than causing disturbances on farms.

Some of the candidates who will battle it out with Chingosho in the primaries are former Zanu-PF Manicaland youth treasurer Taurai Chiripamberi and Farai Mapfumo.