RUTENDO RORI
Four candidates have thrown their hats into the ring to represent Zanu PF in the vacant Murewa South constituency following the death of legislator Joel Biggie Matiza early this year, Business Times can report.
The former Transport and Infrastructural Development minister succumbed to Covid-19 in January this year.
Business Times can report that those scrambling to replace Matiza in primary elections include Noah Mangondo, Josphat Tanga, Solomon Musaka and Nyasha Masoka.
The four successfully filed their nomination papers.
Their names were considered by the Mashonaland East Provincial Executive Committee recently.
Mangondo was a Zanu-PF former central committee member and contested as an independent candidate during the 2018 elections.
Zanu PF Mashonaland East political commissar Herbert Shumbamhini said those who aspired to contest submitted their CVs through the District Co-ordinating Committee (DCC).
“Yes, I can confirm that about four candidates have submitted their CVs through their DCC but they have not yet been submitted through the Provincial Coordinating Committee (PCC).
“We are informed that they are already campaigning on the ground although the date for primary elections is yet to be set,” he said.
Other posts which fell vacant in Mashonaland East province are Marondera East, following the death of Patrick Chidhakwa who was diabetic and had a heart ailment, as well as Marondera Central, following the recalling of MDC Alliance legislator Caston Matewu.
However, by-elections remained banned. The Ministry of Health and Child Care banned by-elections on on account of the Covid-19 pandemic. The ban is still in place.
