Zanu-PF members protest against district elections amid vote buying

Zanu-PF's ward 8 Mziba district is pushing for a rerun of September 26 elections, which it says were fraught with rigging.

The district petitioned the provincial leadership on October 3 seeking redress, but its concerns were ignored, disgruntled party members told Southern Eye.

The petition was directed to the district co-ordinating committee (DCC) office 1 and the Bulawayo province office chaired by one Mutomba and provincial chairperson Obert Msindo.

"We, the undersigned Zanu-PF members, dispute the elections that took place on September 26, including the processes that were undertaken thereafter without observing the directives from the commissariat circulars guiding the conduct of district elections," the disgruntled members said.

"Pursuant to our petition letter to you dated October 3, we can truly confirm that to date, we have not received a reply from your office.

"In the same vein, may you also be informed that due to the situation prevailing in the district, we will be left with no option, but to approach the national commissariat department for redress of the same contentious issues that threaten the existence of Zanu-PF as a party?"

Msindo professed ignorance when contacted for comment over the petition.

"I do not know anything about the petition. I will find out and come back to you," he said.

Politburo member and Bulawayo Provincial Affairs minister Judith Ncube also professed ignorance.

However, this comes ahead of the pending provincial elections,

Former war veterans' leader Jabulani Sibanda submitted his curriculum vitae to contest for the provincial chairperson's post after a long sabbatical.

Also eyeing the post is the current chair, former Mpopoma-Pelandaba legislator Joseph Tshuma and Bulawayo war veterans' leader Cephas Ncube.

Sibanda, who was re-admitted to Zanu-PF in 2018, was credited for mobilising a "million men" march in 2007 through the streets of Harare in support of the late Robert Mugabe's candidature for the 2008 general elections.

However, he was expelled from the Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association in 2014 for allegedly being disrespectful to the First Family.