HARARE – The Zanu PF politburo on Wednesday confirmed a party decision to expel its Bikita West MP Dr Munyaradzi Kereke and immediately asked the Speaker of Parliament to declare the seat vacant to trigger a by-election.
Although Zanu PF had disqualified Kereke from contesting on a party ticket in the controversial July 31 election, the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission accepted his nomination because district leaders had signed his papers.
In that election Zanu PF fielded two candidates in Kereke and gospel singer turned politician Elias Musakwa. Kereke won the contest with 7,270 votes to Musakwa’s 6,052. The MDC-T’s Heya Shoka polled 3,863 votes.
Zanu PF spokesman Rugare Gumbo told reporters after the politburo meeting:
“On Kereke, the party’s decision still stands, he is expelled. So we have advised the Speaker of the National Assembly, Jacob Mudenda, to declare the Bikita West post vacant and a by-election must be held.”
Gumbo also announced that Zanu PF district officials Lovemore Matuke and Edmond Mhere, who signed Kereke’s papers, “are going to face disciplinary action for what they did.”
The Zanu PF call for a by-election to replace Kereke on the basis of his expulsion from the party exposes the hypocrisy of Local Government Minister Ignatius Chombo protecting mayors and councillors fired by the MDC-T.
Last month Chombo said Government would continue working with councillors and mayors who were expelled by the MDC-T for rejecting the party choices and voting Zanu PF councillors into mayoral and deputy mayoral positions.