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Midlands Correspondent—
Zanu-PF Midlands Province will not hold primary elections to elect a candidate to represent the party in the Chirumhanzu-Zibagwe Parliamentary constituency by-elections after deputy national secretary for environment and tourism Cde Auxilia Mnangagwa was nominated unopposed. This follows the withdrawal of two other candidates who had submitted their CVs.

They are provincial women’s league political commissar Cde Violet Nhari-Juru and Cde Erasmas Jaya.

This comes after the Zanu-PF Mashonaland Central Province on Tuesday approved seven candidates to contest in Saturday’s primary elections to choose a candidate to represent the party in the Mt Darwin West parliamentary by-election.

President Mugabe has set March 27 as the dates for the polls.

Mt Darwin West seat fell vacant after former Vice President Joice Mujuru was appointed VP on September 11, 2013 while Chirumhanzi–Zibagwe seat fell vacant following the elevation of Cde Emmerson Mnangagwa to the post of VP.

The seven whose CVs were accepted in Mt Darwin West are; Cdes Kennedy Banda, Bannwell Seremwe, Caleb Karima, James Seremwe, Lovemore Kamupini, Godfrey Tsenengamu and Benedict Mutinhima.

Midlands Provincial Spokesperson, Cde Cornelius Mpereri, confirmed that two candidates, Cdes Nhari-Juru and Jaya had withdrawn from the race.

“We had three candidates eyeing the Chirumhanzu-Zibagwe constituency. However, today before our Provincial Elections Directorate two candidates withdrew.

“What it means is that Mrs Mnangagwa will stand uncontested. The PED has endorsed her candidature and we are now waiting for the nominations court,” said Cde Mpereri.

In an interview on the sidelines of the PED meeting at the Zanu-PF Convention Centre in Gweru, Cde Mnangagwa said she was grateful for the respect shown by the two candidates who withdrew their candidature on the eleventh hour.

She said if elected she would transform the lives of the rural people particularly women for the better.

Cde Mnangagwa said she would carry over from where her husband, VP Mnangagwa left.

“I am so grateful that I have been granted an opportunity to represent the people of Chirumhanzu-Zibagwe. I promise that I will not disappoint them.

“I will carry over from where Vice President Mnangagwa left and inherit the developmental projects.

“I have been working with the people in this constituency ever since Baba (Vice President Mnangagwa) was elected to represent them in Parliament,” she said.

In Mashonaland Central, at least 14 prospective candidates submitted their Curriculum Vitae (CVs) to represent the party.

During a provincial elections directorate meeting held in Dotito on Tuesday, four candidates were disqualified while another three pulled out.

Mashonaland Central provincial chairman Dickson Mafios submitted the approved CVs to the national headquarters in Harare for further vetting by the party’s national elections directorate.

Cde Mafios said the national elections directorate would have the final say on the list of the candidates.

“Those who have not been recommended here may be recommended at national level, so this is not final,” he said. “We know there are some who may want to use money in this process, but I implore you to desist from that.”

Cde Mafios urged prospective candidates to observe peace and campaign peacefully, saying those who fanned violence would be disqualified.

“We do not want political violence as we prepare for the elections either intra or inter-party violence,” he said.

“Candidates are also not allowed to interfere with the electoral processes.”

Cde Mafios said all the candidates were going to hold joint rallies starting today to give them an opportunity to explain their plans and visions to the electorate.

Recently, Zanu-PF supporters in Mt Darwin said they had lost confidence in Dr Mujuru after it emerged that she and her cabal were involved in a plot to not only topple but even assassinate President Mugabe.

Following the revelations, Dr Mujuru fell out of favour with members in the province who subsequently rejected her CV for nomination into the Central Committee ahead of the 6th Zanu-PF National People’s Congress last month.