KWEKWE — Former Kwekwe Central MP Blessing Chebundo has defied a directive from his MDC-T party instructing council candidates Kenneth Mandizvidza and Erick Rukavairo to withdraw their candidature in favour of women candidates by unveiling them at a rally last weekend.
BLESSED MHLANGA
Rukavairo, who is Chebundo’s personal assistant, and Mandizvidza’s victories were nullified after it emerged that they wrestled seats previously held by women in violation of the MDC-T National Council resolution.
Party spokesperson Douglas Mwonzora said in view of the nullification, the party had directed that the two withdraw their nominations and back Sara Kwenda and Mavis Gacheni.
However, during a rally in Kwekwe, Chebundo, who sits in the MDC-T national executive, said he recognised Mandizvidza and his former PA as the legitimate party candidates in the ward 13 and 14 council elections.
“These are the candidates whom we should back in the council elections,” he said, unveiling Mandizvidza and Rukavairo. The MDC-T had double nominations in Kwekwe’s ward 13 where Mandizvidza filed his nomination papers together with Kwande and ward 14 with Rukavairo and Gacheni successfully filing their papers for the same party.
Mwonzora, however, said the MDC-T recognised Gacheni and Kwande as the party candidates saying all those opposed to the party resolution risked being expelled.
“Our position is clear that all seats previously held by women are for them as we move towards empowering women and 50–50 gender parity. Those who want to defy the directive are effectively dismissing themselves from MDC,” he said.
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Midlands North representative in the national executive Willard Somerai said he had already written to the party notifying it of Chebundo’s defiance.
Chebundo denied defying the party saying the rules for the primary elections were clear that if the women who held the seats were not interested in contesting, then others would be open to contest including men.
MDC-T deputy chairman Morgan Komichi has since written a letter to the district chairman Edmore Marangure threatening to expel the two from the party if they failed to comply.
Mwonzora said the party would be writing to the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission to pull out Rukavairo and Mandizvidza.
