ZANU PF plans to conduct fresh primary elections in various wards countrywide. This was revealed in a letter dated 25 April 2023, and addressed to all provincial chairpersons, by ZANU PF national commissar, Mike Bimha.
He said re-runs will be conducted in wards where first rounds failed to produce winners, where uncontested winning candidates have pending court cases, and where the polls were never held due to recent changes in electoral boundaries. Reads the letter:
The Commissariat Department acknowledges receipt of Local Authority Primary Election results conducted by all Provinces between 25 and 26 March 2023.
The Department has carried out an analysis of the results and is satisfied that the election process went on well in most of the Wards.
The Department is, however, alive to challenges encountered during the electoral process.
In some cases, there was no absolute winner due to equal votes by candidates while in other cases, uncontested winners have pending court cases and hence the Department in such cases recommends re-runs.
In other cases, the elections were not held for various reasons such as change of boundaries emanating from the delimitation exercise and hence elections should be conducted.
In view of the above, all Provinces are instructed to prepare for these Primary elections or in some cases Primary election re-runs to be conducted on 6 May 2023.
Provinces will be furnished with information pertaining to wards where Primary Elections or Primary Election re-runs should be conducted in due course.
ZANU PF held primary elections on 25 March this year amid reports of violence, intimidation, and bussing of voters which resulted in the nullification of results in some constituencies which, in turn, necessitated re-runs.
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