The Sunday Mail
Sunday Mail Reporter
Zanu-PF’s Mashonaland West provincial leadership will this week meet to review its defeat in the Norton House of Assembly by-election, and probe allegations of vote rigging allegedly orchestrated by National Political Commissar Cde Saviour Kasukuwere.Secretary for Administration Dr Ignatius Chombo called for the post-mortem following the allegations that Cde Kasukuwere and Harare South legislator Cde Shadreck Mashayamombe were at the centre of poll rigging in the party primaries.
Independent candidate Mr Temba Mliswa won the Norton constituency seat with 8 927 votes to Cde Ronnie Chindedza of Zanu-PF’s 6 192. It was the ruling party’s first defeat in more than 20 by-elections since 2013.
Cde Chindedza was said to have been imposed as a candidate and did not meet the minimum requirements to stand as a Member of Parliament. In an interview last week, Zanu-PF Mashonaland West chair Cde Ephraim Chengeta said, “The post-mortem for Norton constituency is going to be done this week. We are going to have an inter-district meeting and deliberate on the issue.
“We will seek to find out what really transpired from those who wore stationed in the constituency. Once we have made our findings we will bring them forward to our seniors in the party and they will advise us on the next step to take.”
Last week, a leaked audio recording indicated Cde Kasukuwere ordered the inflation of votes in favour of Cde Chindedza against other candidates in the primary election, namely Cdes Bybit Tsomondo, Joyce Mukazhu and Margaret Zvinavashe.
The audio clip indicates officials involved in the election process initially refused to manipulate the results, but gave in after being told that the order had come from Cde Kasukuwere. President Mugabe has described Cde Chindedza as a “thief” who did not deserve to stand in the by-election as he was not the people’s choice.
