ZANU PF Win Cowdray Park After Ban On Some Candidates
The ruling party in Zimbabwe, ZANU PF, has recently secured two additional Parliamentary seats, adding to their recent victories. However, these victories have not been without controversy. The by-elections were held after a controversial ban on some candidates.
In the Cowdray Park Constituency, Mujeyi Arthur of ZANU PF was elected as a Member of Parliament with 1,765 votes. He defeated Vusimuzi Chirwa from the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC), who received 1,560 votes. The voter turnout in Cowdray Park was disappointingly low, with less than 4,000 people casting their votes out of over 20,000 registered voters. The seat became vacant when Pashor Raphael Sibannda, who had won in the previous harmonised elections, was recalled by Sengezo Tshabangu. However, Sibannda was banned from participating in the by-elections by the High Court. He defeated ZANU PF’s candidate Mthuli Ncube who is also the Finance Minister in the 23-24 August 2023 harmonised elections.
In the Bulawayo South Constituency, ZANU PF’s Rajeshkumari Modi emerged as the winner with 1,608 votes. Sithole James of the CCC received 1,130 votes. Once again, the voter turnout was very low.
These by-elections were held due to the recall of CCC Members of Parliament (MPs) by Sebgezo Tshabangu. Tshabangu claimed that these MPs were no longer members of the party. However, the CCC has raised concerns that Tshabangu is collaborating with the ruling party to gain a two-thirds majority in Parliament, which could potentially allow for easier amendments to the Constitution.
ZANU PF’s recent successes come after another controversial victory in the Mabvuku-Tafara constituency. Their candidate, Pedzai Scott Sakupwanya, was declared the winner after Munyaradzi Kufahakutizwi, a CCC contestant, was barred from running by the High Court. Kufahakutizwi had been recalled by the CCC, and the court ruled that he could not represent the party in the by-elections without the approval of the recalling authority.
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Several CCC candidates were barred from contesting in the by-elections, including Sibanda Dubeko Prince (Binga North), Moyo Bright Vanya (Lupane East), Pashor Raphael Sibanda (Cowdray Park), Watson Nicola Jane (Bulawayo South), Gono Ereck (Lobengula-Magwegwe), Ncube Morgan (Beitbridge West), Manduna Obert (Nketa), Makaza Desmond (Mpopoma-Mzilikazi), and Kufahakutizwi Munyaradzi Phebion (Mabvuku-Tafara).
