Zanu-PF sets district polls guidelines

Zanu-PF Secretary for Security Lovemore Matuke yesterday urged the party members to desist from vote buying and name dropping, saying candidates should stick to the set the guidelines for the district elections that have been since announced. This comes after the party has successfully set up cell and branch structures ahead of the annual conference scheduled for October.

"The impending district elections should be conducted according to party guidelines. We do not expect vote buying, name dropping or use of political muscles during the process. We are expecting members to adhere to democratic practices to ensure a resounding victory in the 2023 harmonised elections. Party members should elect leaders of their choice, who would be able to work and deliver for the party," said Matuke.

The party district elections will be conducted by the District Coordinating Committees (DCCs) and supervised by the provincial executive committee members.

Following the completion of the restructuring of the party branches on September 12 this year, Zanu-PF acting national Political Commissar Patrick Chinamasa in a circular said provinces should conduct elections of party districts from September 20-26. He warned members against manipulating the election process, saying those involved in such acts will face disciplinary action. He said provinces must put in place security measures to ensure a peaceful election process.

 "Any members breaching the rules of the elections must be identified and reported through the DCC and provincial channels to party headquarters' District Elections Command Centre so that appropriate disciplinary action can be taken against the transgressors,'' he said.

According to the circular directed to provincial chairpersons, the positions of the main wing shall be voted for by all executive committee members of the three wings of party branches making up the respective party districts. The three wings refer to the main wing, women's league and the youth league executive committees of party branches in the district.

The positions of district chairwomen and of district youth chairpersons shall be voted for by members of the Women's wing and Youth wing executive committees of party branches in each party district, respectively. Chinamasa further said the party district elections shall be conducted through the basket system and by secret ballot in order to achieve fair representation of all the party branches within the respective party district boundary.

Apart from the positions of the three chairpersons of the three wings, Chinamasa said elections for the remaining 117 posts should be divided equally by the number of the party branches in the district.

Each branch will elect its quota to represent it in the district executive committee. Each branch will have one polling centre.  

The voting process, Chinamasa said, should be conducted in a manner that limits crowding to comply with the current Covid-19 restrictive measures. Those who qualify for district positions are past district executive members, current sitting district executive members, any member currently holding a position at branch level, any member who currently holds a position above party district level, but only on condition that he/she first tenders a written resignation letter from his or her current position.

DCC members shall be deployed to conduct the elections in their neighbouring administrative districts such that there shall be no DCC member who will conduct the elections in his or her home administrative district.