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Herald Reporter
Zanu-PF yesterday indicated that prospective candidates who intend to represent the ruling party under the women quota and in National Assembly in the forthcoming harmonised elections need to have served at district level – and not provincial level – for a minimum of five years to be eligible.

It is believed some members had erroneously interpreted the conditions for candidature and this was beginning to cause anxiety among party members.

In a statement yesterday, zanu-pf Secretary for Information and Publicity Ambassador Simon Khaya Moyo said the ruling party felt obliged to clarify the proper position after some sections of the media issued reports “that appear at gross variance” with the pronouncement that was made after the Politburo meeting on Thursday.

He also noted that while those willing to represent the party under the women quota and for National Assembly elections had to be 21 years and above, anybody over the age of 18 was eligible to register to vote.

“Pursuant to my Press statement of the 22nd of March 2018 on the deliberations of the Politburo at the zanu-pf Extraordinary Session held at the party headquarters in Harare on the even date; more specifically relating to the report presented by Advocate Jacob Mudenda on behalf of the Secretary for Legal Affairs, Cde Paul Mangwana, on qualifications of candidates for the National Assembly and women’s quota in the primary elections, it has become apparent that some sections of the media have issued reports that appear to be at gross variance with my pronouncement,” said Ambassador Khaya Moyo, who is also the party spokesman.

“The said reports gave the field impression that qualification for candidates for the National Assembly and women’s quota were supposed, at minimum, to have served at provincial level for a minimum effective period of five years; and this has created unintended perceptions and anxiety in some sections of society, hence, necessitating this pronouncement,” he said. He also urged party members to desist from prematurely campaigning for party positions as the dates for the primary elections would soon be announced.