Zanu-PF verifies poll results

Source: Zanu-PF verifies poll results | The Herald

Cde Mike Bimha

Joseph Madzimure Senior Reporter

ZANU PF is conducting a meticulous verification exercise of election results from provincial command centres with some provinces still submitting results from outstanding districts.

This is meant for accountability purposes in the spirit of democracy as is the culture in the Second Republic.

Voting has been extended mostly in areas affected by incessant rains such as Masvingo and Midlands provinces.

The voting exercise started on Tuesday with some provinces failing to access voting material on time owing to bad weather and some other challenges.

Final results will be announced at the National Command Centre at party headquarters in Harare.

The elections are to choose the party’s new provincial executive members after the previous teams were dissolved last week.

Election results started trickling to the National Command Centre in Harare on Wednesday afternoon.

There are expectations of surprises in some areas.

National Political Commissar Cde Mike Bimha said the National Command Centre was still receiving results from some districts across the country’s 10 provinces.

“Some outstanding district results are still coming in. We cannot announce the results when some results are still coming in. Members should wait a little bit until we finalise the whole process,” said Cde Bimha.

The party, he said, was also verifying the results from the respective provinces and confirmed that counting had been completed in Harare with the results having been forwarded to the National Command Centre.

In most areas, polling went on smoothly and without notable incidents of disturbances in a positive demonstration of the party’s internal democratic processes.

Polling took place at multiple centres in each district to allow all district officials to vote close to their areas.

In some areas of Masvingo and Midlands, voting continued on Wednesday after polling officers failed to access the places on time on Tuesday because of incessant rains.

Apart from bad weather, other hitches included long distances from command centres and bad terrain.

In Mashonaland West counting and tallying of the polls were still being done across the province with unverified reports claiming the Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution Cde Mary Mliswa-Chikoka and Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Deputy Minister Cde Kindness Paradza could be the frontrunners in a tight contest also involving outgoing youth chairman, Cde Vengai Musengi and war veterans provincial chairman, Cde Happison Muchechetere.

On reports of alleged violence in Harare, Cde Bimha said the security department was investigating the matter.

“We have received some reports of cases of violence particularly in Harare. We heard some reports of candidates who grabbed ballot papers and ran away. These issues are being investigated. The security department is working tirelessly to ensure that all those involved in any cases of violence are dealt with accordingly and they will go through our disciplinary machinery.”

The main contest in Masvingo for the post of party provincial chairperson pitted the Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution Cde Ezra Chadzamira, who is also the immediate past chair, against his former vice chair Cde Robson Mavhenyengwa, the legislator for Zaka North.

Candidates who contested for the chairmanship position in Mashonaland Central main wing are Cdes Kazembe Kazembe and Tafadzwa Musarara, while women’s league candidates are Cdes Tsitsi Gezi and Patience Tapomha. All the four are from Mazowe district.

There are five candidates for the youth wing among them Cdes Saunyama Dzimbiti, Tawanda Gezi, Blessing Murendo, Emerson Raradza and Pijiwest Nhamburo.

In Matabeleland South, four candidates including the Minister of Environment, Climate Change, Tourism, and Hospitality Industry Cde Mangaliso Ndlovu, acting provincial chairman Cde Never Khanye, and two war veterans, Cdes Matthias Siqhosa and Jabulani Bango squared up for the provincial main wing chairmanship.

Cde Gladys Tlou from Beitbridge, Cde Rona Moyo (former Chair Women’s League), Cde Sindisiwe Nleya from Plumtree, and Primary and Secondary Education Minister Evelyn Ndlovu contested the provincial Women’ League chair, while Cdes Langton Maphosa and Nkosilomusa Langa stood for the Youth League.

In Bulawayo, former war veterans chairman Cde Jabulani Sibanda contested for the provincial chairmanship position.