The Sunday News
Vincent Gono
CONFUSION continues to reign supreme in the MDC Alliance with one of its two candidates for Bulawayo South Eng Muvirimi Francis Mangwendeza appearing on the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) list of candidates that have withdrawn their candidature rubbishing the list saying he did not withdraw.
Mr Mangwendeza has since written a letter to ZEC seeking clarification on why his name was on the list of candidates that have withdrawn their candidature when he was the party’s legitimate candidate.
Reads part of the letter in possession of Sunday News, “I note with concern that the name Mangwendeza Francis is listed as having withdrawn from Bulawayo South constituency… I did not withdraw my candidature from the Bulawayo South constituency,” he wrote.
He said he even visited the ZEC Bulawayo Provincial Elections Officer who confirmed not having a record of his withdrawal.
Eng Mangwendeza said the unclear circumstances of his purported withdrawal smells foul of his political enemies’ dirty tricks of getting him out of the game and derail his campaign as well as causing confusion within the voting public.
He requested that ZEC immediately withdrew the advertisement and issue a public notice clarifying his candidature and further demanded an explanation on why and how his name was published as withdrawn without his knowledge and by who.
He said he was the legitimate candidate of the MDC Alliance adding that his party was shocked by the developments saying they never forwarded his name to ZEC.
The other candidate from the same party Mr Kunashe Muchemwa is also campaigning side by side with Eng Mangwendeza although he is said to have lost the primary elections to Eng Mangwendeza.
“In any case it is Mr Muchemwa who is supposed to withdraw his candidature because he lost the primary elections. I hope the party and ZEC will deal with that anomaly with the urgency it deserves,” said Eng Mangwendeza.
