The Sunday News
Robin Muchetu Senior Reporter
ZANU-PF Bulawayo and Matabeleland South provinces yesterday held elections for candidates that will meet the party’s Central Committee women’s quota.
In Bulawayo the elections saw prominent war veteran Cde Molly Mpofu of Area Two losing to Cde Violet Ncube. Other winners include Cdes Canisia Satiya (Area Five), Atalia Mangoye (Area Four), Ebby Dube (Area Three) and Eulyss Nhowedza (Area One).
Cde Angelina Masuku will contest for a Central Committee seat today together with various candidates in the party’s main wing, while Women’s League deputy secretary Cde Nomthandazo Moyo retains her seat uncontested.
The election was declared free and fair by the chairperson of the Women’s League in Bulawayo, Cde Evah Bitu.
“The elections were free and fair, the ballots were counted according to the various districts that we have. We have 112 chairpersons in Bulawayo and we voted peacefully,” she said.
Cde Bitu said the winning candidates had to lead by example as the province had chosen them saying they should put women’s interests high on their priorities.
“The winners should lead by example; we need to see them working hard for the women that elected them and empower them to do various projects. They have to have the interests of the women high on their priorities,” she said.
She further said it was vital that they uphold unity as it would aid them in achieving their mandate as leaders. The winners were encouraged to embrace all party supporters and members and to desist from divisive tendencies as that would weaken party structures.
Cde Bitu also said the winners must show their unwavering support for the First Lady Dr Grace Mugabe as those that did not do so were not needed in the party.
The Women’s League secretary for information and publicity for Bulawayo province, Cde Rebecca Manjeri, congratulated the winners saying they were the choice of the province.
She also said those that had lost the election should not lose heart but work with the party to improve its well-being.
Winning candidate for area five Cde Satiya said she was overwhelmed by her victory and pledged to work hard for the women and nation at large.
She said the women should promote unity and rally behind the First Lady and President Mugabe who she said should retain his Presidency at the forthcoming elective congress.
Senator Tambudzani Mohadi, the Secretary for Production and Labour in the Women’s League, who officially announced the results of the winners in Bulawayo province, said the women were happy with their selections and said they must work together for the betterment of the party. She said the women would stick to their resolutions passed earlier on at their conference in August 2014.
“The women have made their choice and they are happy. They also stick to their resolutions which include the endorsing of the President as the First Secretary for Zanu-PF and the First Lady as the secretary for the Women’s League,” she said.
The Bulawayo province Women’s League, however, said victory in 2018 elections was certain as they had come together to form a stronger body of the party.
“We are winning the 2018 election this time around, we will not disappoint at all, we are against factionalism in this region as it divides the party and the nation as a whole,” said Cde Bitu.
Zanu-PF chairman for Matabeleland North Province Cde Richard Moyo said elections failed to kick off as the presiding officers were attending a Politburo meeting in Harare.
“Elections were postponed because the people who were supposed to conduct the elections are attending the Politburo meeting in Harare so we will have elections next week on 29 November 2014,” he said.
In Matabeleland South Province the party’s secretary for administration, Cde William Dhewa, announced the representatives for the seven administrative districts.
In Gwanda Cde Almar Mkhwebo won with 13 votes and in Insiza Cde Esther Nyathi won with 17 votes.
“Bulilima, Matobo and Mangwe districts were uncontested which means Cdes Rose Mpofu, Neddy Ndlovu and Elizabeth Ndiweni retain their positions respectively,” said Cde Dhewa.
He added that the remaining two administrative districts Beitbridge and Umzingwane would come into the central committee automatically as Cdes Abigail Damasane and Tambudzani Mohadi were already in the national executive.
The remaining seats will be contested today.
Central Committee posts were equitably allocated on pro rata basis with each province being allocated 10 seats each. It is the party strength during last year’s elections that separates the provinces.
Bulawayo has the least number of posts with only one extra seat.
Zanu-PF failed to secure a single parliamentary seat in Bulawayo and lost all local authority seats to the opposition MDC-T.
