The Sunday News
Bruce Ndlovu, Sunday News Reporter
ZANU-PF has selected nine candidates that will represent the ruling party in council by-elections to replace a councillor that passed away and eight others that were recalled by MDC-T leader Dr Thokozani Khupe in Bulawayo.
Last month, Dr Khupe recalled Clayton Zana of Ward 19, Tinevimbo Maposa of Ward 21, Ernest Rafamoyo of Ward 20, Donald Mabuto of Ward 9, Tinashe Kambarami of Ward 3, Lilian Mlilo of Ward 12, Concilia Mlalazi of Ward 18 and Norman Hlabano of Ward 26. There is also a vacant seat in Bulawayo following the death of Ward 8 councillor Ronnian Mudara.
Speaking on the sidelines of a Provincial Co-ordinating Committee (PCC) meeting yesterday, Zanu-PF Bulawayo Province Secretary for Information and Publicity Cde Canaan Ncube said the party was happy with its selection, as it believed they were best candidates to return the City of Bulawayo to its former glory.
“We have what we call a selection of who will represent us. The most important thing is to realise that Bulawayo is in the midst of several major crises. It needs councillors that are genuine, councillors that will stand for the city and take it back to its past glory. That’s what we want and that’s what we had in mind when we selected the men and women that are going to represent us. We want them to take Bulawayo back to what it was. That’s the most important thing,” he said.
Cde Ncube said Cde Gwinyai Mucheki will represent the party in Ward 3 while Cde Jairos Maropa will stand in Ward 8. In Ward 18, Cde Enock Madzimure will represent the party, Cde Phumulani Nsingo will stand in Ward 19. Cde Admire Masikati will contest in Ward 9 while Cde Mary Ncube will do so in Ward 12. Cde Dennis Sibanda will be the Zanu-PF candidate in Ward 20 while Cde Sailas Chirosho will stand in Ward 21. In Ward 26, Cde Lungisani Sibanda will be the party candidate.
Cde Ncube said the MDC-Alliance councillors that had been recalled had brought disgrace to the council chambers and it was now up to the ruling party to get council back on track.
Speaking during the PCC, Zanu-PF provincial commissar Cde Maidei Mpala said the party’s national commissar Cde Victor Matemadanda had informed them of the strategies the party was going to use to garner five million votes in the 2023 harmonised elections.
“When we went to Harare to meet the commissar, we were told about the party’s plan to get at least five million members by the time that we go for elections in 2023. We were also taught ways in which this was attainable. The commissar told us that in his first two weeks in office, President Mnangagwa had already outlined his vision for the country and that was a vision tied to the year 2030. So, when we met the commissar in Harare he wanted to know if we were following in the President’s footsteps. He wanted to know if we had a vision or we were just approaching elections without a necessary strategy. The commissar made it clear that, as a party of the people, we should be in touch with the issues that are really affecting people in Bulawayo because the city has many problems,” Cde Mpala said.
