Zanu-PF wins Nyanga and Mberengwa by-elections

THE ruling Zanu-PF party Saturday won two of the contested Rural District Council seats in Nyanga and Mberengwa.

The two seats became vacant after the deaths of Zanu-PF councillors Matongo Collins and Ravasingadi Zhou.

Zanu-PF  retained the two seats with huge margins against its rival Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC).

According to official results published by the Zimbabwe Election Commission (ZEC) in Nyanga Ward 27, Nyazenga Simon of Zanu-PF garnered 376 while Tichiwangani Artwell Taurai of CCC got 123.

In Mberengwa Ward 15 Nkonzo Albenias garnered 765 while Dhongijena Cornias of CCC got 165.

The ruling party won amid intimidation and vote buying allegations.

Zanu-PF was also accused of influencing the traditional leaders in those areas to force-march their subjects to vote for the ruling party.

However, CCC deputy spokesperson Ostallos Siziba said the opposition party was embarking on a rural mobilisation exercise.

"More work must be done to close the gap. This was a by-election for a Zanu-PF seat and despite intimidation and patronage networks.

"Some braved out and voted for CCC. We are going there for a post-mortem and a grassroots mobilisation program so that we can build from there," Siziba said.