4 MDC-T constituencies demand Hwende for MP

HARARE – Four constituencies in Mashonaland West Province are demanding that Chalton Hwende represent them as their parliamentary candidate in this year’s general election. 

Zvimba North, Chegutu West, Chegutu East and Mhondoro have all approached Hwende and asked him to represent them as their parliamentary candidate saying he had the capacity, both political and financial, to deliver the seats to the party at the elections.

The former student leader has, however, already submitted his Curriculum Vitae (CV) to be considered in Chegutu West. But Chegutu East MDC wards have since written to the party’s secretary general Tendai Biti to allow his CV to be considered in their constituency.

In January 19 letters to Biti seen by the Daily News, Chegutu East’s wards 2,3 and 26 requested that Hwende be given the opportunity to withdraw his CV from Chegutu West saying he is the only candidate with the political clout to successfully challenge the incumbent legislator Webster Shamu of Zanu PF.

 

“This note serves to notify you that the residents of Chegutu East hereby declare that our son Charlton Hwende must be given the opportunity to withdraw his CV from Chegutu West for the benefit of the party because he is the only party cadre who can stand against Webster Shamu,” reads one of the letters.

Calls for Hwende’s candidature are also loud in Local Government minister Ignatius Chombo’s Zvimba North Constituency where the party members believe he has what it takes to wrestle the seat.

District organising secretary Charles Jackson confirmed they had approached Hwende to represent them in Parliament.

“We called Hwende to our constituency because we need somebody strong enough to take advantage of the acrimony between Zanu PF candidates and win it for us,” Jackson said.

Contacted for comment, Hwende confirmed that he was approached by several wards and that he had already submitted his CV to Chegutu West. He, however, refused to say whether he was considering abandoning Chegutu West for either Chegutu East or Zvimba North.

“I have had many invitations but I have not made any decision yet,” he said.

“I grew up in Chegutu and the people there need me but I am from Mhondoro where they also need my services. I will continue consulting so that whatever the decision I take will be in the best interest of the party and the people I represent.”

The MDC is currently in the process of receiving CVs from aspiring candidates until January 31 for both council and Parliament ahead of primary elections scheduled for next month. Daily News