Zanu PF backtracks on election results amid ED, Chiwenga rivalry

Zanu PF members who won the party’s provincial elections have been advised not to celebrate their victories until the results are endorsed by the politburo.

The move has, however, been viewed by observers as an attempt to suppress factional fights between supporters of President Emmerson Mnangagwa and his perceived rival Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga.

On Sunday, Zanu PF political commissar Mike Bimha said the announcement he made last Friday of winners of the provincial executive polls in the 10 provinces of the country would only be official if endorsed by the politburo

“The national political commissar hereby issues this categorical directive as earlier indicated during our Press conference held on December 31, 2021 releasing provisional results that there are no winners or losers as yet following the holding of successful provincial elections across the nation,” Bimha said in a statement.

“As such all members of the party and contestants in the just ended elections must stop all activities aimed at celebrating victory or expression of disgruntlement.

“The 358th ordinary session of the Politburo which was set as the national elections directorate of the party dissolved all the outgoing ten provincial executives and nothing has changed so far except that we had successful provincial elections to choose new executives,” Bimha said.

“As an established rule and tradition of the party, until the politburo convenes to deliberate on the outcomes as announced at the aforementioned press conference, the results given remain provisional and preliminary and will be subjected to the wisdom of politburo deliberations and processing of legitimate complaints raised by others.

“All cadres of the party are hereby reminded to abide by this directive until further notice. No deviation from this directive will be tolerated.”

In Mashonaland Central, veterans of the 1970s liberation war, a key cog in the Zanu PF wheel, have come out guns blazing against alleged widespread vote rigging during the provincial elections and have since called for a re-run of the polls.

Home Affairs minister Kazembe Kazembe, Mnangagwa’s ally claimed victory in the provincial chairmanship race although supporters of his rival, businessman Tafadzwa Musarara claimed the victory was laced with poisonous rigging mechanisms.

Musarara is considered Vice President Constantino Chiwenga’s ally. Nehanda Radio