Zimpapers Logo

Joseph Madzimure-Senior Reporter

Zanu PF candidates for Mt Pleasant and Harare East constituencies are confident of winning and returning them to the ruling party after they have been in opposition hands. 

In Mt Pleasant constituency, Cde George Mashavave of Zanu PF will battle it out against independent candidates Mr Naison Mamuse and Mr Brian Ticky.

 But Mr Mamutse has been associated with former CCC leader Mr Nelson Chamisa.

In Harare East Zanu PF candidate Cde Kelvin Mutimbanyoka will contest against Ms Ropafadzo Cynthia Cheza who is standing in as an independent candidate.

Cde Mashavave is confident of bringing back the seat to Zanu PF.

“First and foremost is the public infrastructure, our roads are in bad state, there is no safe water, no nearby maternity healthy facilities. Pregnant women travel to Dzivaresekwa and Hatcliffe to seek public health facilities for the people. We should have our own constituency ambulance for the people,” he said. 

He has funded some community empowerment projects such as poultry, malls and market gardening. 

 “As Zanu PF we are giving advice to the electorate about the opportunities available under the Second Republic. For the past five years, even against all odds including Western imposed economic sanctions, the country has defied expectations registering economic growth that is buoyed by the resurgent mining, manufacturing and agriculture sectors,” said Cde Mashavave.

The Government under the leadership of President Mnangagwa, he said, has taken everyone on board towards Vision 2030 to become an upper middle class economy and on that journey the revolutionary party is unstoppable.

“The electorate are much aware that Zanu PF is a mass party, with people oriented policies, hence the need to vote for it in the coming by elections. We want Mt Pleasant to be a no go area for the opposition. The opposition party has failed to deliver to the people. We want to return Mt Pleasant constituency back to its glory days. 

“We will come up with waste management centres in each and every ward to make sure garbage is collected by the city council,” said Cde Mashavave.

The candidates filed their nomination papers this week to contest in by elections set for April 27.

An independent candidate for Harare East constituency Ms Cheza expressed confidence that she will win the by-election.

“I know, there are people who are looking down upon my candidature, but I am very positive that the elections are open for everyone,” she said.

Cde Mutimbanyoka expressed confidence that Zanu PF will retain the constituency seat.

“There are a number of projects lined-up in the constituency which will bring hope to the electorate. We need to clean the area and rehabilitate some of the roads which in bad shape.

“We also want to establish projects for the youth and women in the constituency who constitute a big number of our voters,” said Cde Mutimbanyoka. 

Only five candidates were nominated to contest in the two constituencies.

The two seats fell vacancy following the resignation of Ms Fadzai Mahere of Mount Pleasant and Mr Allan Markham of Harare East, both elected under the CCC umbrella in August last year.

Zanu PF Harare provincial chairman Cde Goodwills Masimirembwa confirmed that they will have a Provincial Coordinating Committee meeting on Wednesday next week to come up with the roadmap for campaigning for the two constituencies.