The Sunday Mail
Voting ended peacefully in yesterday’s Mutoko North National Assembly and Chegutu Rural District Council ward 16 by-elections, though polling was characterised by low voter turnout.
The Mutoko North seat fell vacant when incumbent legislator Cde Mabel Chinomona was elected Senate President; while Cde Silas Chikati’s death left a vacancy in Chegutu’s ward 16.
Both won their seats in July 2018 under the Zanu-PF ticket.
Polling stations yesterday opened at 7am and closed at 7pm, with the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission saying it expected final results today.
As of 4pm, 8 083 people had cast their votes across Mutoko North, with 742 voters being assisted due to illiteracy and/or blindness, while 100 were turned away for various reasons.
Three candidates contested the Mutoko North seat: Cde Rambidzai Nyabote (Zanu-PF), Mr Boniface Mushore (MDC Alliance), and Mr Edsom Mugoma (NCA).
In the July 30 elections, Cde Chinomona won the seat with 16 902 votes to Mr Mushore’s 3 151, while Shamah Kativhu of Free Zimbabwe Congress polled 262 ballots.
In Chegutu’s ward 16, the contestants yesterday were Cde Obert Simunyu Mutandinda (Zanu-PF), Mr Noel Muchenje (MDC Alliance) and Ms Patricia Mapfurira (NCA)
ZEC Acting Chief Elections Officer Mr Utoile Silaigwana said voting went smoothly despite the low voter turnout.
“As at 4pm, in Chegutu 14 people were assisted due to illiteracy and four were blind,” he said. “In Mutoko we are yet to get statistics from five wards due to lack of communication. However, as at 4pm about 37 percent of the registered voters had cast their votes.
“The number of voters is expected to reach 40 percent which is lower than in the harmonised elections.”
Mr Silaigwana said by-elections tended to attract fewer voters than in harmonised polls.
