The Sunday Mail
George Maponga in Masvingo
Voting to elect a Zanu-PF Masvingo provincial chairperson ended here last night with a team tasked by the party to supervise the process expressing satisfaction with the way polls were conducted. Election were expected to start filtering through late lastnight.
The polls saw Cde Ezra Chadzamira and Colonel (Retired) Mutero Masanganise contesting the chairperson’s post.
There was high voter turnout in most of the 408 ward centres in the province, but concerns were raised in Bikita district where allegations were that suspended Masvingo political commissar Cde Jappy Jaboon had discouraged members from voting.
But Zanu-PF politburo member and supervisor of the elections Cde Cain Mathema said the elections had proceeded well. “The voting process went on smoothly and we are taking results as they come.
‘‘We hope that the process culminating to the announcing of the results will end well.
‘‘We are a peaceful party that is why there have been no any incidences of violence reported.”
Voting at most centres started at around 10:am and some polling stations visited by The Sunday Mail — including Zvishumbe, Nemamwa, and Rhodene — had long queues in the morning which had disappeared by 2pm. Elections for a substantive provincial chair were first held in February after the then head Cde Chadzamira and his deputy Cde Kizito Chivamba were suspended for insubordination. The two were later cleared of wrongdoing, making them eligible for re-election. ‘‘With Cde Chadzamira leading that poll, a re-run was ordered after some participants raised concerns about how the election was run.
Cde Chadzamira had taken a commanding lead with 12 393 votes against Rtd Col Masanganise’s 4 888 after 64 percent of the party districts had voted.
