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Wallace Ruzvidzo-Herald Reporter

ZANU PF will today conduct primary elections to elect candidates who will represent the ruling party in the February 3, 2024 by-elections.

The by-elections were necessitated following the recall of CCC legislators by the opposition party’s secretary-general Sengezo Tshabangu recently.

Consequently, President Mnangagwa fixed the date for the by-elections as enunciated in the country’s Electoral Act. After the primary elections, the Nomination Court will sit next week on December 18 to receive names of candidates interested in contesting in the by-elections. 

December 20 to February 1 will be the campaign period.

Comrades Douglas Gangaidzo, Joseph Tshuma and Cecilia Verenga (Pelandaba-Tshabalala constituency); Tinashe Chikonye, Mabasa Ditima, Genius Maphosa, Anywell Mukiwa and Washington Zhanda (Goromonzi West); Sharon Victoria Garwe, Tobias Munyaradzi Kashambe, Joseph Charles Mubaiwa, Kelvin Mutsvairo and Isaac Tigere Tichareva (Seke); Farai Chigarazira, Brian Chinyama, Timothy Masviba and Wellington Timburwa (Chegutu West); Gibson Chihaka, Antony Magama Dube, Kudakwashe Manhanzva and Francis Mukwangwariwa (Zvimba East); and Ernest Dzoro, Darlington Magodora, Lyton Moyo and Edgar Ncube (Mkoba North), will contest in today’s internal polls.

Zanu PF’s National Political Commissar Cde Mike Bimha told The Herald yesterday that everything has been set for the conducting of seamless primary elections today.

He said the ruling party had since dispatched the presiding and polling officers for the primaries.

These will be drawn from the party structures and Central Committee members will be deployed to supervise the conduct of the elections.

In provinces where there is more than one constituency, Politburo members have been deployed.

“Yes everything is set for the primary elections tomorrow, the ballot papers have been done, the people who will administer the elections have been deployed,” he said.

Cde Bimha said after the primaries, the ruling party would shift focus to effective campaigning to ensure it wins resoundingly.

“At the moment our concern is the primaries, once we have done our primaries then we strategise for the way forward,” he said.

There will be one polling station in each ward for the internal polls, but in special cases more than one will be considered, said Cde Bimha.