Zanu PF secretary for administration Ignatius Chombo has said Harare East candidate Mavis Gumbo has formally withdrawn from contesting for the seat in the June 10 by-elections in favour of ruling party rival Terrence Mukupe.
by VENERANDA LANGA
Chombo said this on Wednesday while addressing a rally in Kuwadzana in support of Betty Kaseke who will contest for the National Assembly seat left vacant by MDC-T legislator Lucia Matibenga when she was fired from Parliament after crossing over to the MDC Renewal Team.
“I would like to thank Harare province for obeying the instructions that came from the politburo because they have shown that whatever has come from the politburo which is chaired by President Robert Mugabe, should not be questioned,” Chombo said.
“I would like to announce that I have received a letter from Gumbo where she notified the party that she was withdrawing her candidature in the Harare East constituency and will allow Mukupe to contest the seat on behalf of Zanu PF in compliance with the politburo decision.”
He added: “That is what we want because it shows compliance with party instructions. Elections will always happen and there will always be chances for people to contest seats.”
When contacted for her view over the matter, Gumbo declined to comment.
Gumbo and Mukupe were both declared Zanu PF candidates for the Harare East National Assembly seat by High Court judge Justice Chinembiri Bhunu after a bitter fight over who should represent the ruling party in the by-election.
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Mukupe won the Harare East primary elections, but his papers were rejected by the Nomination Court allegedly at the instigation of Chombo.
However, Zanu PF national commissar Saviour Kasukuwere backed Mukupe who was eventually endorsed by Mugabe and the Zanu PF politburo.
The seat became vacant when former MDC-T secretary-general Tendai Biti was fired from Parliament together with 20 other legislators for crossing the floor from the MDC-T to the Renewal Team.
Meanwhile, Zanu PF secretary for youth affairs Pupurai Togarepi has warned ruling party leaders who fail to advance the causes of youths that they will be kicked out from their positions.
Togarepi claimed youths were now confused because of a lot of misinterpretation of resolutions made by the Zanu PF politburo.
He said this at the same Kuwadzana campaign rally for Kaseke where he also castigated the MDC-T for boycotting elections, saying they were listening to the instructions of their British masters.
“The youths are the vanguard of the party and if the leaders disappoint us, it means we will not continue to pass on the baton stick for them to continue ruling the country,” Togarepi said.
“If you do not support the youth revolution, your leadership will cease.”
He added: “We would like to plead with lawyers like (Zanu PF Harare province chairman) Godwills Masimirembwa to help us with interpretation of the law and resolutions that would have been made by the party because there is a lot of confusion among the youths about the resolutions made.”
Togarepi said Zanu PF would rule forever, saying the decision by the MDC-T to boycott elections was very “foolish”.
“The only reason why the MDC-T is not going to elections is because they are surrogates of the British and are listening to the voices of their masters.”
He said independent candidates in the June 10 by-elections were wasting their time as their chances of winning was slim.
Masimirembwa told the rally that there was no sense in the MDC-T boycotting the forthcoming by-elections.
“We made a mistake by voting for MDC-T councillors in local authorities. Come 2018, Zanu PF will be in control of all local authorities in Harare and will ensure people get title deeds for their houses and put an end to corruption in local authorities,” Masimirembwa said.
