×
NewsDay

AMH is an independent media house free from political ties or outside influence. We have four newspapers: The Zimbabwe Independent, a business weekly published every Friday, The Standard, a weekly published every Sunday, and Southern and NewsDay, our daily newspapers. Each has an online edition.

Ezra Sibanda joins politics

News
Veteran radio personality and former Radio Zimbabwe disc jockey Ezra “Tshisa” Sibanda yesterday confirmed his desire to contest the Vungu House of Assembly seat on an MDC-T ticket. Sibanda, who quit the State-run Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation in 2001 and went to live in the United Kingdom, quashed reports he wanted to contest the Mpopoma-Pelandaba seat […]

Veteran radio personality and former Radio Zimbabwe disc jockey Ezra “Tshisa” Sibanda yesterday confirmed his desire to contest the Vungu House of Assembly seat on an MDC-T ticket.

Sibanda, who quit the State-run Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation in 2001 and went to live in the United Kingdom, quashed reports he wanted to contest the Mpopoma-Pelandaba seat currently under MDC-T’s Samuel Sandla Khumalo.

In a wide-ranging telephone interview from his UK base yesterday, Sibanda also dismissed claims by the State media that he was working in cahoots with the British spy agency, the M16.

“It is the people of Vungu (Lower Gweru) who have been inviting me to stand for them in Parliament.

“The calls were made since the year 2000, but now I feel I am ready to represent them. I have been to school and think now I am ready for the challenge,” he said.

“I am a member of the MDC-T and the people who have the final decision are those from the constituency I will represent.

“If they give me the chance, I will step up, it comes from the grassroots going up and not the other way round.

“I was shocked to read reports that I was working with the MI6 and have never met the people mentioned in that report.

“I thought with the revelations of the WikiLeaks, it was clear that spies are found in Zanu PF.

“What would the MI6 want from Zimbabwe anyway?

“In Mpopoma, there is already an MDC-T member of the House of Assembly so why would I go there?”

Sibanda said he had decided to join politics as he felt “there has not been any development in Midlands like in Matabeleland”.

He said he had close relations with the party’s national organising secretary Nelson Chamisa and chairman Lovemore Moyo.

MDC-T deputy spokesperson Thabitha Khumalo yesterday confirmed Sibanda’s membership to the MDC-T.

Sibanda was a household name in the broadcasting industry during his heydays. He was popular for his show Ezemuli and Ngisakhumbula on Radio 2 , now Radio Zimbabwe.

He also played on the programme Abancane Qha on the same station and once hosted Mutinhimhira Wemimhanzi/Ezomgido with Eric Knight. Sibanda was also a football radio commentator.

Current Zanu PF MP for Vungu Josephat Madubeko won the seat by a narrow margin after factional fighting saw the MDC-T field two candidates, Mark Moyo and David Sabola, who was later expelled for defying the party.