Energy Mutodi back in Zanu-PF fold

Energy Mutodi, a former Information deputy minister, will has relocated to Masvingo province where he will stand for the Bikita South seat.

Zanu-PF Masvingo provincial chairperson Robson Mavhenyengwa said Zanu-PF is optimistic that they are going to have a landslide victory in the province during the August 23, 2023, harmonized elections.

In 2018 Zanu-PF got 25 out of 26 constituencies in the province and Mavhenyengwa said this time around they are going to take all the constituencies.

On the nomination court day, Zanu-PF managed to file 26 nominees who are going to represent the party in the province.

The nominees is a mixed bag of new and old faces and some of the new entrances are Mudumi Brain (Masvingo North), Mukomberi Tanatsiwa (Masvingo South), Sheiller Chikomo (Mwenezi East) and Francis Moyo of Chiredzi Central among others.

Old faces include Makope Master (Mwenezi North), Chiduwa Clemence (Zaka South), Ezra Chadzamira of Masvingo West, Davies Marapira (Zaka Central) and the Rhumba musician Energy Mutodi who will be representing Bikita South.

Mavhenyengwa said they are confident of winning every position in the upcoming elections.

"As Zanu-PF we managed to field candidates in every position in all constituencies and wards. We are confident of winning this election resoundingly," said Mavhenyengwa

He went on to say they were ready for election and were not losing sleep over disgruntled members who decided to stand as independent candidates.

"We are ready for the election. We are not even frightened by those who were in Zanu-PF who decided to be independent candidates in the upcoming elections," he said.

In the province, 3 Zanu-PF members filed their nomination papers as independent candidates and these are George Vhengere, who will be contesting for the Gutu East Constituency.

Vhengere decided to take a lone Wolf stance in the battle for Gutu East after he was disqualified from the party elections despite winning during the primary election.

Another Zanu-PF member who is disgruntled by the Forever Associates of Zimbabwe (FAZ) held internal elections is Rwodzi Mutonhori Christopher who has since formed his 4ED affiliate and called himself independent candidate 4ED.

Mutonhori is vying for Gutu West Parliamentary seat and was barred from contesting in the primaries on allegations that he had some pending disciplinary case.

In Mwenezi West Shumba Tafadzwa Dhererai will be contesting with Zanu-PF's Moyo Priscilla and Chifumuro Brilliant of CCC as a standalone after he felt cheated in the primaries.

Zanu-PF has already bagged three local authority seats in Mwenezi district after the opposition parties failed to field candidates in wards 10, 12 and 17.