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Midlands Bureau

IT will be a two-horse race for the Gokwe-Kabuyuni constituency by-election following the successful filing of papers by Zanu PF and CCC aspiring candidates when the Nomination Court sat at Gweru magistrate’s court yesterday.

President Mnangagwa proclaimed August 27 as the date on which the Gokwe-Kabuyuni constituency by-election will be held to fill the vacancy created by the death of Cde Leonard Chikomba (Zanu-PF).

Zanu PF candidate Cde Spencer Tshuma and CCC candidate Mr Costin Muguti were nominated after successfully filling their papers before the close of the nomination court at 4 PM.

The returning officer, Mrs Dorcas Mpofu, who is the Midlands Provincial Zimbabwe Election Commission officer, announced that the by-election would be held in Gokwe-Kabuyuni on August 27.

“There were two nominees for Gokwe-Kabuyuni constituency meaning that on August 27, there will be a by-election.  Spencer Tshuma of Zanu PF and Costin Muguti of CCC successfully filed their papers,” she said.

Gokwe-Kabuyuni has traditionally been held by Zanu-PF and the ruling party is expected to retain the seat.

Cde Tshuma said considering the huge turnout during the internal party primaries to find a candidate to stand for the party, he was confident that the vast turnout would be there come by-election day.

“I am confident that we are going to win the seat because we are a people’s party. I am confident that the huge turnout experienced during the primary elections will return the constituency back to the party,” he said.

Cde Tshuma said the party is involved in a lot of life-changing projects such as borehole drilling and rehabilitation of roads.

Mr Muguti said he was also confident that his party would win the seat.

“We are going to take this constituency from Zanu PF. We are going to engage in a lot of road rehabilitation works and improve the livelihood of the people,” he said.

Popularly known as “Bhudhi”, Cde Chikomba died in a car accident in May this year, 20km away from his home along the Gokwe-Chitekete highway when he was coming from a Zanu-PF Provincial Co-ordinating Committee meeting in Gweru.

Cde Chikomba, who was also a Zanu-PF Central Committee member, was declared a provincial liberation hero given his immense contribution during and after the liberation struggle.

He is credited with harbouring and providing clothing and food to freedom fighters during the liberation struggle.

After Independence, Cde Chikomba, who was a bus driver, worked hard to become an established businessman and had vast business interests around the Chitekete business centre before becoming a legislator in 2005.

He had business interests in farming, transport, the food industry among others.