NATIONAL Constitutional Assembly (NCA) Bikita West by-election candidate, Madock Chivasa says he is confident of winning the seat despite the heavy Zanu PF campaign machinery that has been deployed to the constituency.
By VENERANDA LANGA
Chivasa, a product of Bikita West, is one of the six candidates vying for the seat, which fell vacant last year after former MP, Munyaradzi Kereke, was slapped with a 10-year jail term for raping a minor.
The youthful NCA spokesperson told Southern Eye he is prepared to forego some of his parliamentary benefits, including selling off his yet-to-be-allocated legislator’s vehicle, should he win the by-election, and channel the proceeds into a trust to spearhead community development projects in the area.
“I was born and bred in Bikita West, and I went to school there until I completed A Level at Mashoko High School in Bikita. I only came to Harare in 1999 when I enrolled at the University of Zimbabwe,” he said.
“My decision to contest the Bikita seat came from the realisation that previous MPs voted for the Bikita West seat were not from the area and so it became difficult for the people in Bikita West to connect with them. I have a passion for Bikita because it is my home area.”
Chivasa dismissed public perceptions that the NCA was a less-known political party compared to others.
“The people in Bikita are not looking for a well-known political party that will form the next government. They are looking for a capable person to represent them in Parliament,” he said.
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Chivasa said given that the MP would only serve for one and a half years before Parliament is dissolved in preparation for the 2018 elections, the most feasible projects he would introduce in the constituency include a trust fund to solve unemployment problems for local youths.
“The fund will assist to empower the youths to do projects such as welding, poultry and support those educationally gifted. I will get the capital from different developmental partners such as embassies and other well-wishers.
“My biggest contribution towards the fund will be to donate the Parliament vehicle that I will get if I win the seat. It will be sold in order to get capital to feed into the trust fund. The projects will also include members of other political parties because I am not going to be MP for NCA, but for the people of Bikita West,” he said.
Chivasa said he would also push for legislation enabling local communities to manage their local resources for the benefit of their people.
Chivasa claimed his campaign posters were being defaced by his Zanu PF rivals, whom he also accused of using government-sourced food handouts to buy votes.
“Zanu PF is also dishing out food handouts. It is actually vote-buying because if one is suspected to be opposition they are denied food aid, and so it is a tool to win elections.”
Also eyeing the constituency are Zanu PF’s Beauty Chabaya, Zimbabwe People First’s Kudakwashe Gopo, independent candidate, Heya Shoko, a former legislator for the area, Progressive Democrats of Zimbabwe’s Terrence Makumbo and another independent candidate, Innocent Muzvimbiri.
