The Sunday News
Vusumuzi Dube
ON Wednesday 10 June, thousands of villagers from Tsholotsho North constituency will stream to various polling stations to cast their vote, a vote that will determine the future and status of the constituency for the next three years.
Limelight in the constituency and the entire Tsholotsho District has been on the three candidates that have lined themselves up to battle it out in the by-election — Media, Information and Broadcasting Services Minister Professor Jonathan Moyo, representing the ruling party Zanu-PF, Ms Gertrude Sibanda and Mr Busani Ncube who will both contest as independents despite having strong links with the opposition.
All three have boldly said they were raised in Tsholotsho and like every other candidate have claimed that when elected to office they will help uplift the constituency among a host of other promises.
Sunday News last week visited the district to get an in-depth picture of the three, their backgrounds, what they have achieved, what they have done for the constituency and what the people from Tsholotsho can expect come June 11 when the results will probably be announced.
“We can lie to each other; claim that the other two candidates are also from Tsholotsho and will help uplift the district but the truth is, just take a stroll on the streets of Tsholotsho and you will come across a development project that Professor Jonathan Moyo has either singlehandedly bankrolled or had a huge influence in. This is during his time as an MP or just as a son of Tsholotsho.
“I remember when he was MP here and I was the council chairperson, he was more of Mr Tsholotsho. He brought CBZ and the Grain Marketing Board to Tsholotsho, he financed the establishment of tower lights, financed the tarring of the road from Tsholotsho to Ngqoya and that from Ngqoya to Sipepa. He was always up and about pushing for development regardless of it being Tsholotsho North or South. He was the real Mr Tsholotsho,” said Tsholotsho Rural District Council chair Councillor Alois Ndebele.
The council chairperson said while he had no say on who people voted for, the mere comparison of the three candidates would be unfair because there was no disputing that Professor Moyo was the only candidate to vote for.
“We are talking of someone who provided 600 bags of cement for Tshitatshawa, Chefunye and Jowa clinics, assisted in the renovation of Dlamini High School and Bayana Primary School. He even helped establish high schools in the district noting that when he became MP there was just Tsholotsho High School now we have more than 10.
“He also provided mobile phone lines for villagers at a time when the cost of a cellphone line was equivalent to a beast, further going on to help establish network boosters all over Tsholotsho. I honestly feel if we are to make a serious comparison here these candidates will just be forced to throw in the towel because they are just nobodies, without any possession at all to talk about, their scheme is just that of trying to get rich fast nothing to do with the development of Tsholotsho,” said Clr Ndebele.
Another villager, Mr Mike Ncube, said their relationship with Prof Moyo was a heartfelt one as he was always working with the community and was far from being a pompous individual.
“Right now he is assisting in the construction of Tsholotsho Stadium, just to show you the type of individual that he is.
What surprises us all is that he is using his own money and doesn’t even seem to be worried,” said Mr Ncube.
Sunday News managed to track down one of the independent candidates Ms Sibanda who has strong links with beleaguered MDC Renewal team. Initially Ms Sibanda refused to entertain this news crew claiming she was not yet prepared to do any interviews as she had not started her campaign.
However, this news crew managed to track her down to her two-hut homestead in Mpondo Village. The homestead has no toilet and in addition to the two huts (kitchen and bedroom) there is a makeshift gazebo and there was no livestock in sight.
Ms Sibanda had to break down the door of her bedroom after she forgot the keys with her husband, who she had left in the fields harvesting sweet reeds and water melons, which she said were meant for visitors she was expecting.
“I am a Tsholotsho person my son. Everyone knows me here and I tell you, everyone will vote for me. I am not worried at all because I know I will be the next MP here. Actually, I have been planning to contest in 2018 but this presented itself as a perfect opportunity.
“The only problem I have is I was initially married to a Dlamini person and people knew me as NaMaDla hence they were confused when they heard of a Gertrude Sibanda. Don’t worry about there being none of my posters, I am not just ready yet but come Tuesday I think everything will now be in place,” said Ms Sibanda.
She refused to reveal her educational background but said she was qualified enough to lead the people of Tsholotsho.
“Being a Tsholotsho person I know that we have a problem of water. I will bring water to Tsholotsho, people have asked me where I am getting the funding for this campaign but I must tell you that I have been saving for this for some time now, this is all my money,” she said.
Questioned on her links with the MDC Renewal and MDC-T she claimed she had resigned from political parties after the 2013 harmonised elections, refusing to give reasons for her resignation.
Neighbours interviewed dismissed “NaAuxillia” as a daydreamer who was just wasting the people’s and her time.
“When we were told that she wants to be MP we initially took it as a joke but only realised she was serious when she was openly talking about it. It boggles the mind how someone who cannot even run her own homestead can become an MP, without spiting her I believe she should have simply declared that it was a joke earlier,” said a neighbour who declined to be named.
This crew also managed to talk to Mr Busani Ncube at his homestead in Mpisini Village, over 100 kilometres from Tsholotsho centre. Dressed in a yellow hoody, worn out blue jeans and black All-star tennis shoes, Mr Ncube also boasted that losing did not cross his mind.
“What people are worried about right now is my lack of visibility because I have not yet managed to put up my posters, but I expect that in the next couple of days this will be solved. At the present moment I haven’t gone out to the ground to start my campaign but I am consulting my neighbours to ensure that when I start everything will be good to go.
“I know the problems being faced in Tsholotsho and these are the problems that I will aim to solve when I become the Tsholotsho North representative, problems like water and the few schools especially close to where I stay,” said Mr Ncube.
Questioned on his allegiance to MDC-T he did not mince his words saying he would immediately join the party after being elected into office.
“I worked in South Africa for a number of years and only relocated here when I joined the party, thinking the time had come for me to serve it from within the country, these coming by-elections I know there are a number of people who naturally will never vote for Zanu-PF which is why I am confident they will vote for me.
“My background and status in life do not matter at all, people have faith in me which is why I stood up and am giving them an option,” said Mr Ncube.
The father of two also confessed that he had never been employed locally in his life, spent six years in South Africa and was now striving to make ends meet with his wife Ms Annah Muleya.
He, however, boasted that he had managed to build his two hut homestead in the Mpisini area.
“I grew up in Filabusi where I attended Mbawulo primary and secondary schools, I also was in South Africa between 1991 and 1997 but since then I have been into farming here in Mpisini,” said SaPrecious, as he is known in the Mpisini area.
By-elections in Harare will be held in Highfield West, Glen View South, Kuwadzana, Kambuzuma, Dzivarasekwa and Harare East constituencies.
In Manicaland, by-elections will be held in Headlands and Chikanga-Dangamvura. In Mashonaland West, Hurungwe will be contested.
Bulawayo will see by-elections in Makokoba, Luveve, Pelandaba-Mpopoma, Pumula and Lobengula.
In the Midlands, Mbizo voters will go to the polls in Kwekwe.
The only by-election in Matabeleland North will be the Tsholotsho North battle.
