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Joseph Madzimure

Senior Reporter

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

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

In Mutare West Constituency, Cde Nyasha Marange will also represent Zanu PF. Initially, Cde 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.

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

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

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

Addressing the media after yesterday’s Politburo meeting in Harare last night, Zanu PF National Political Commissar Cde 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 Cde Bimha.

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

Zanu PF National Political Commissar Cde Mike Bimha (right) and the party’s national spokesperson Cde Christopher Mutsvangwa address the media after an Extraordinary Session of the Politburo in Harare yesterday

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

Cde 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 Cde Mutsvangwa.

Some Politburo members, Cde 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 (Cde Ziyambi) did not make it; he congratulated the woman Cde 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.