ED still has grip on Zec, State media: Chikwinya

By The NewsDay | Jul. 4, 2018 | 2 Min read

MDC Alliance parliamentary candidate for Mbizo constituency, Settlement Chikwinya, yesterday described President Emmerson Mnangagwa as a sly politician who pretended to promote peace, yet he maintained a firm grip on the State media and the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec) to disadvantage his rivals.

BY VENERANDA LANGA

Chikwinya claimed that the State media was still dominated by Zanu PF broadcasts, adding that several electoral rules were being flouted.

“The Mnangagwa dispensation has approached his rule in two parts: which are hardcore and softcore issues, and the softcore issues are to do with that there should be minimum or no violence during elections, where he is saying that I am a good leader, Zimbabwe is open for business, and I have withdrawn my previous deeds of beating up people, yet we all know that he is the culprit that used to unleash violence,” he said.

“The hardcore issues are that he has maintained a grip on State media, and even though they covered the MDC Alliance manifesto launch, we cannot compare it to the coverage that he is allotted together with his wife Auxillia, who even appears on television buying tomatoes. What it means is that Mnangagwa has 27 days to rectify issues and ensure there are credible elections in accordance with Sadc and African Union norms.”

Chikwinya lashed out at sitting legislator Vongaishe Mupereri (Zanu PF), saying he lacked political clout to effectively represent the constituency.

“Mupereri has been in Parliament only to register his name and he never uttered a word in Parliament. It is high time people recall him and put a true representative of the people because I set a high bar for him during my tenure,” he said.

Chikwinya promised several projects for the people of Mbizo in line with MDC Alliance presidential candidate Nelson Chamisa’s Sustainable and Modernisation Agenda for Real Transformation” (Smart) programme.