The Sunday News
Vusumuzi Dube, Sunday News Reporter
AS the Mr Nelson Chamisa faction of MDC-T continues to jostle in the selection of candidates to represent the party in the forthcoming harmonised elections, party members from Magwegwe district in Bulawayo have written to the national leadership expressing concern over the imposition of candidates in their constituency.
In the petition, the members accused the party of trying to impose people who were not from the district saying the party risked losing votes if they failed to consult them. They further accused the current MP, Mr Anele Ndebele of taking the party for granted by failing to take part in party business.
“We cannot allow Mr Anele Ndebele to ruin our victory. Mr Ndebele has played the people of this constituency for fools. He owns a house in Mahatshula and does not stay in Magwegwe. He was one person imposed to the community by Dr Thokozani Khupe at the expense of Felix Mafa who was not bending to Dr Khupe’s MDC-T Matabeleland dynasty. Anele is a representative who does not communicate with the electorate, as his mobile phone is always unreachable. He only parks his vehicle at his parent’s home and dashes away with a different car to Mahatshula, leaving a note that he is going to Harare, which is a deliberate deceptive move,” reads the petition.
The residents further claimed that the party now wanted to give the district two choices to choose from to represent them in the elections; either to accept Mr Ndebele or elect a Mr Eric Gono who they claimed resides in Pumula East.
“Gono stays in Pumula East and is only coming to this constituency all because he has kids who stay here. He is not known by the community. How can he represent aspirations and desires of the people of Magwegwe? We demand custodian recognition and representation not imported representation, Advocate Nelson Chamisa with your education, we believe you do understand what is the meaning of devolution as it is one of the MDC-T and MDC Alliance objectives. This is what the whole of Matabeleland is demanding from you and your leadership. Walk the talk,” reads the petition.
The petition was reportedly sent to Mr Chamisa’s office and copied to the party acting chairperson, Mr Morgan Komichi and the Bulawayo provincial executive led by Councillor Gift Banda.
Contacted for comment, Mr Komichi said they were still handling the matter of candidates to represent the party as Alliance partners, saying they had not yet come up with the list saying people should not impose themselves.
“We have continued to emphasise that we have not yet come up with the list of candidates. The process is still being handled by the elections directorate, our members should be patient and await direction from us. If anyone is going around saying they are representing the party, they should simply stop that as we will surely discipline them according to the party constitution,” he said.
Meanwhile, one of the partners in the Alliance the Tendai Biti-led PDP will today hold primary elections in the areas they have reportedly been allocated despite negotiations still to be finalised within the coalition. The party’s deputy spokesperson, Mr Edwin Ndlovu said while negotiations for seats allocation within the alliance continues, the party will go ahead with conducting their primary elections.
“The management committee of PDP led by Tendai Biti met on Friday in Harare to deliberate on the state of the party, alliance and the nation, the party resolved that while negotiations for seats allocation within the alliance continues, so far the party will conduct primary elections or seek consensus among candidates,” said Mr Ndlovu.
According to the list provided by Mr Ndlovu, the party will hold primary elections in 17 constituencies, these being; Nkulumane, Pumula, Harare East, Kambuzuma, Mutasa South, Mutare West, Makoni North, Beitbridge West, Zaka West, Mbizo, Gokwe Sesame, Bulawayo proportional representation, Bulawayo Senate, Harare proportional representation, Masvingo proportional representation, Mashonaland West proportional representation and Mashonala West Senate. They will also hold primaries in 25 wards for the local government elections. Mr Ndlovu said the results of the elections will be announced tomorrow.
