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Joseph Madzimure-Senior Reporter

THROUGH its people-centred policies, Zanu PF is confident of winning the Mabvuku-Tafara seat in Harare during the December 9 by-elections, adding to the inroads it started to make in Harare constituencies during the August election.

The Zanu PF candidate is Cde Pedzisai Scott Sakupwanya, who will battle it out with Mr Phibion Munyaradzi Kufahakutizwe of CCC.

The CCC has been winning most elections in urban areas since 2000, although Zanu PF won a modest block of seats in August, but has failed to implement any tangible developmental project since then.

In fact, urban areas have been run down by the opposition, and have contended with water challenges and terrible roads. It was only through the intervention of President Mnangagwa through the Presidential Borehole Drilling Scheme that urban people started getting clean water.

Even roads are being attended to, with a number now completed and usable.

The provision of clean water and world class roads is being undertaken through the urban renewal agenda.

President Mnangagwa has also issued title deeds to urban residents who bought land from unscrupulous land barons who were parcelling out State land.

Yesterday, Zanu PF Harare provincial chairman Cde Godwills Masimirembwa said the party is confident of winning the Mabvuku-Tafara constituency.

He said the party has already deployed its members who are engaging in door-to-door campaigns engaging voters so they vote for the revolutionary party.

“The Politburo, Central Committee, Harare provincial members are fully engaging with the structures in Mabvuku-Tafara constituency to make sure the party snatches the seat from CCC,” he said.

“The party is using all arsenal at its disposal to win the seat, using the polling-station based campaign strategy. We are confident that we are going to retrieve the seat this time around.”

The Mabvuku-Tafara Constituency by-elections were necessitated by the recall of nine CCC constituency members of the National Assembly, along with five proportional representation members, and nine senators by the opposition party’s interim secretary-general Mr Sengezo Tshabangu.

Other by-elections will be held in Cowdray Park, Mpopoma-Mzilikazi, Lobengula-Magwegwe, Lupane East, Bulawayo South, Nketa, Binga North and Beitbridge.

Zanu PF thrashed the CCC in Gutu West by-election held on November 11, with Cde John Paradza amassing 12 147 votes while CCC candidate Mr Ephraem Morudu came third with 1 258 votes.

An independent candidate Mr Martin Sebastine Mudzingwa came second with 1 775 votes.

Zanu PF expects voters to continue correcting their mistakes of voting in useless opposition candidates.