Politburo endorses final list of candidates

The Politburo yesterday endorsed the final list of candidates who will represent the revolutionary party in the upcoming harmonised elections, with Robert Nyemudzo bouncing back in Chipinge South, after being cleared of allegations of brewing illicit beer and drug peddling.

Enock Porusingazi had been endorsed as the winner of the Chipinge South primary election, after it emerged that Nyemudzo was involved in illegal drug dealings.

In Mutare West Constituency, Nyasha Marange will also represent Zanu-PF. Initially, Brighton Manyengureni had been declared the winner.

The Politburo also endorsed primary election results for re-runs held in five outstanding constituencies, with two female candidates defying the odds to win in Zvimba West and Gokwe Nembudziya.

Maruva Mercy Dinha is the party's candidate for Zvimba West after defeating Ziyambi Ziyambi, while in Gokwe-Nembudziya, former Cabinet minister Flora Buka, bounced back after defeating the incumbent legislator Justice Mayor Wadyajena.

In Insiza South, Spare Sithole will now represent the party after Andrew Langa withdrew from the race.

The Politburo also endorsed the candidature of Ephraim Fundukwa, who will represent the party in Churu Constituency, while Mbare Constituency will be represented by Martin Matinyanya, who won against Zanu-PF Harare Provincial Youth Chairman, Emmanuel Mahachi.

Addressing the media after yesterday's Politburo meeting in Harare last night, Zanu-PF National Political Commissar Mike Bimha said the Politburo met to confirm the candidates who won in the primary election re-runs held over the weekend, with focus now shifting to the roadmap for general elections expected in July or August.

"The party has now put a lid on candidates' selection with focus now centred on galvanising support ahead of the general elections, where the target is to attain at least 5 million votes.

"The primary elections for Zanu-PF are over, we now focus on the road to the final victory on our preparations to campaign for the 2023 harmonised elections," said Bimha.

Speaking at the same occasion, Zanu-PF national spokesperson Christopher Mutsvangwa said the Politburo expressed satisfaction with the outcome of primary elections.

He scoffed at some private media outlets that published falsehoods, claiming that President Mnangagwa had tried to save his preferred candidates in some constituencies.

Mutsvangwa said the outcomes of the primary elections were a testimony that there are no sacred cows in Zanu-PF in the spirit of upholding democracy.

"I don't know where that came from. Definitely it did not come from the voters or the membership of Zanu-PF who were doing the selection of the candidates through the party system.

"The outcome of the elections comes from the voters who are membership of Zanu-PF. It didn't matter who you stood for in the party, it didn't matter where you stood in terms of proximity or distance from the President.

"This was a communion between the candidate and the voters and that is what ensued in the process," said Mutsvangwa.

Some Politburo members, Mutsvangwa said, failed to make it in the primary elections.

"One of the re-runs (referring to Zvimba West) has served to confirm that the President had no sacred cows.

"One of our colleagues (Ziyambi) did not make it; he congratulated the woman who came out tops. We have no losers and winners in Zanu-PF," he said.

The Politburo also commended the organisers of this year's Independence Day celebrations, which were held in Mt Darwin, Mashonaland Central Province.

This was the first time since 1980 that Independence celebrations were held in a rural setting.