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Farirai Machivenyika in Hwedza
The Hwedza North by-election was held yesterday without any incident of violence and results are expected to be announced this morning.

Four candidates – Zanu-PF’s Cde David Musabayana, NCA’s Chikukwa Mudzingwa, Transform Zimbabwe’s Tichaona Makara and Freedom Front’s Precious Manhimanzi – took part in the by-election.

Constituency elections officer Mr Stuart Zvavambire expressed satisfaction with the way the polls were conducted.

“The reports we received from the various centres show that everything went well,” he said.

“All the voting materials came on time and we also did not receive any reports of violence or intimidation.”

When The Herald visited polling stations in the constituency, people were trickling in to vote with no long queues recorded.

The Hwedza North seat fell vacant following the death of Cde Simon Musanhu in January this year.

There were 41 polling stations for the by-election to cater for 28 129 registered voters in the constituency.

Meanwhile, the opposition MDC-T has been slammed for being hypocritical after it forwarded names of seven people to the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission to fill in vacancies in Senate and National Assembly under proportional representation.

This is despite the party having recently resolved not to participate in 14 by-elections that it caused after recalling its legislators from Parliament, but indicated that it would field names under proportional representation.

According to a Government Gazette published yesterday, MDC-T nominated four people for the Senate and three others for the National Assembly.

These are treasurer-general Mrs Theresa Maonei Makone, Ms Anna Chimanikire, Mr David Antony Chimhini and Mr Beki Sibanda for Senate.

Political analysts, however, said the Tsvangirai-led party was confused as it was not necessary for it to be party of a process that it condemned.

Dr Lawton Hikwa

Dr Lawton Hikwa said it sounded strange for them to boycott elections and at the same time deploying members under proportional representation.

“It is baffling. For me if the MDC-T has valid reasons they should not be selective as to boycott the by-elections but at the same time deploying proportional representation MPs. If they so decided to boycott, they should boycott everything,” he said.

Midlands State University senior lecturer in the Media Studies Department Professor Nhamo Mhiripiri said it was logical for the MDC-T to send their representatives for proportional representation.

Prof Mhiripiri said by doing so, they were also endorsing and accepting results of the July 20-13 harmonised elections which they claimed were rigged.

Another analyst said the MDC-T was taking the easy way out by appointing MPs under the proportional representation as it did not involve any contest.