Former town clerk eyes Gweru Urban seat

Source: Former town clerk eyes Gweru Urban seat – NewsDay Zimbabwe April 23, 2018

Former Gweru City town clerk, Godfrey Nhemachena, is among Zanu PF candidates, who filed papers to contest in the ruling party’s primary elections scheduled for next month.

BY Stephen Chadenga

Nhemachena will battle it out with Tinomuda Chinyoka, war veteran Nugget Manyima, National Youth Service Gweru district commander, Esau Natare and Thandiwe Kavamba.

The former council boss spent over two decades at the helm of the local authority and also holds directorships in several companies.

The opposition MDC-T has been in this constituency for more than 15 years with Sesel Zvidzai being the incumbent MP.

Zanu PF leader, President Emmerson Mnangagwa told party supporters early this year that they would leave no stone unturned in a bid to win the two Gweru seats, Mkoba and Gweru Urban that have been held by the opposition for the past 18 years.

“We have 28 seats in Midlands, but 26 seats are Zanu PF and the other two we lost to MDC-T. This time around, promise me that we will not lose any seat. We should get back these two seats,” he said then.

The contest in the Midlands province will also see a number of business people, sports personalities and former government officials facing each other in the primaries.
Notable among these are Envirnonmental Management Agency board member, Barbara Rwodzi, who will battle it out with Chirumanzu South sitting legislator, Pedzisai Munanzvi.

Zifa vice-president, Omega Sibanda, is also eyeing the Gweru Vungu constituency currently held by Josphat Madubeko.

The biggest casualties in the province whose CVs were rejected include former Provincial Affairs minister Jason Machaya, former Mines deputy minister Fred Moyo, ex-minister of State in the President’s Office, Flora Buka and Kwekwe Central MP Masango Matambanadzo.

Francis Nhema, however, bounced back and will face other candidates in Shurugwi North, while others like war veterans secretary general, Victor Matemadanda have set their interests in Gokwe Central.