News / National
By-elections dry run for 2023, says Chigumba
28 Jan 2022 at 05:57hrs | Views
The parliamentary and local authority by-elections scheduled for March 26 will prepare the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec) for the 2023 harmonised elections, chairperson Justice Priscilla Chigumba has said.
Justice Chigumba said she will be observing the by-elections in the Midlands Province, primarily focusing on rural constituencies to have an appreciation of the logistical challenges, including poor road network and areas without electricity so that corrective measures, where necessary, would be taken.
"In 2018 I was observing the elections in Harare and for these by-elections, I have come to the Midlands which is vast and has rural constituencies so that we deal with the perennial issues that affect the Midlands Province," she said.
"We have some outlying areas with poor road network, no electricity where we would want to improve in terms of efficiency."
Justice Chigumba was in Gweru on Wednesday as candidates were filing their nomination papers with the Nomination Court.
Aspiring candidates who successfully filed their papers expressed confidence of winning in the upcoming by-elections.
William Gondo, who will represent Zanu-PF in Mkoba Constituency, said he will be seeking to defeat Mr Amos Chibaya who has been the area's National Assembly member since 2000, under the opposition MDC ticket.
The seat became vacant after Mr Chibaya was recalled by the MDC-T.
He will be contesting under the Citizens Coalition for Change.
"I have successfully filed my papers and I am going back on the ground. People are fed up, they want development and they have faith in President Mnangagwa so as his lieutenants, we have to work hard," said Gondo.
Mrs Iren Vhezha, who filed her papers under the little-known Zimbabwe People's Action Party (ZPAP) for the same constituency, said she hopes to be the first female legislator for the constituency.
Justice Chigumba said she will be observing the by-elections in the Midlands Province, primarily focusing on rural constituencies to have an appreciation of the logistical challenges, including poor road network and areas without electricity so that corrective measures, where necessary, would be taken.
"In 2018 I was observing the elections in Harare and for these by-elections, I have come to the Midlands which is vast and has rural constituencies so that we deal with the perennial issues that affect the Midlands Province," she said.
"We have some outlying areas with poor road network, no electricity where we would want to improve in terms of efficiency."
Justice Chigumba was in Gweru on Wednesday as candidates were filing their nomination papers with the Nomination Court.
Aspiring candidates who successfully filed their papers expressed confidence of winning in the upcoming by-elections.
William Gondo, who will represent Zanu-PF in Mkoba Constituency, said he will be seeking to defeat Mr Amos Chibaya who has been the area's National Assembly member since 2000, under the opposition MDC ticket.
The seat became vacant after Mr Chibaya was recalled by the MDC-T.
He will be contesting under the Citizens Coalition for Change.
"I have successfully filed my papers and I am going back on the ground. People are fed up, they want development and they have faith in President Mnangagwa so as his lieutenants, we have to work hard," said Gondo.
Mrs Iren Vhezha, who filed her papers under the little-known Zimbabwe People's Action Party (ZPAP) for the same constituency, said she hopes to be the first female legislator for the constituency.
Source - the herald
