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Mrs Rita Makarau

Innocent Ruwende Senior Reporter
The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) has gazetted the nomination of Cde Josephine Shava by Zanu-PF as its Mashonaland West Proportional Representation Member of Parliament to fill the vacancy created by the death of Cde Joan Tsogorani in September last year.

Cde Tsogorani complained of shortness of breath and died shortly upon admission at West End Clinic where the cause of death was diagnosed as respiratory failure.

She was 43.

“The public is hereby notified, in terms of Section 39(6) of the Electoral Act (Chapter 2:13), that the Zimbabwe African National Union Patriotic Front (Zanu-PF) party has nominated Josephine Shava, a registered voter in Ward 14 of Kadoma Municipality of 4232 Ngezi, Kadoma, to fill the vacancy in the party-list members of the National Assembly that occurred following the death of Joan Tsogorani,” said Zec chairperson Rita Makarau in the Government Gazette.

“Any voters wishing to object to the nomination of Josephine Shava may lodge their objections in writing with the chief elections officer at Mahachi Quantum.”

In a general notice published in the same Government Gazette yesterday, Zec also gazetted the nomination of Cde George Gangarahwe of Zanu-PF and Mr Rodwell Nyanganya (Freedom Front) as the Mhondoro-Mubaiwa constituency by-election candidates.

Zec chief elections officer Mrs Constance Chigwamba said in the Gazette that polling shall take place on March 5, for the purpose of electing a Member of the National Assembly for the constituency.

“It is hereby notified, in terms of Section 48 of the Electoral Act (Chapter 2:13), that at the close of sitting of the nomination court which sat on January 16, 2016, the candidates listed in the schedule (Cde George Gangarahwe (Zanu- PF) and Mr Rodwell Nyanganya (Freedom Front)) were duly nominated for election to the Mhondoro-Mubaira National Assembly constituency,” she said.

Mrs Chigwamba said in terms of Section 4 of the Electoral Regulations, 2005 published in the Statutory Instrument 21 of 2005, Zec appointed Mr Godfrey Masiri to be the constituency elections officer for the Mhondoro-Mubaira National Assembly constituency.

The seat fell vacant following the expulsion of Mr Sylvester Nguni from Zanu-PF on the grounds that he was working with a cabal that angled to topple President Mugabe.

Zanu-PF recently won the Nkulumane constituency by-election after beating the Progressive Democrats of Zimbabwe (PDZ) and the Renewal Democrats of Zimbabwe (RDZ).

The by-election followed the death of former MDC-T legislator Mr Thamsanqa Mahlangu.

The ruling has swept all by-elections held since the July 31, 2013 harmonised elections which have been boycotted by the MDC-T on the pretext that the opposition party wants electoral re -forms.

Analysts note that there was no way the MDC-T could have participated in by-elections following its heavy defeat at the 2013 harmonised elections because it was obvious that the party had no support.