Mbizo MP Settlement Chikwinya has dedicated his victory in the March 26 by-elections to the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) supporter, Mboneni Ncube, who was killed at a rally in Kwekwe by ‘Zanu PF thugs’.
The late opposition member was stabbed with a spear by Zanu-PF thugs who invaded Chamisa’s rally in Kwekwe ahead of the March 26 by-elections.
Some of the perpetrators of the violent attack were arrested and their names were leaked showing they were ruling party officials.
Speaking about his victory in Kwekwe where the plebiscite witnessed bloodshed, Chikwinya said:
“It was the citizens who made us go for by-elections and we went into these by-elections for two reasons. The first was that we wanted to demonstrate to Zanu-PF that the citizens are ready to vote for CCC in 2023 and another reason was that we wanted to punish the Zanu-PF lite led by Douglas Mwonzora.
“The citizens of Mbizo, Mkoba, Kwekwe and Zimbabwe told Zanu-PF that in 2023 they are ready to win and win big. People in the rural areas are also raring to go.”
He added that Zanu-PF threatened their election agents making the electoral environment not free and fair.
“It is heart-warming that we have senior citizens who support our party and still have a hope for a new Zimbabwe. This was a difficult campaign, as at Black-Wadada, Zanu PF was threatening our polling agents and in Tafara our polling agents were being intimidated, but I thank the citizens because they stood their ground,” Chikwinya said.
He dedicated his victory to the late Mboneni.
“I now come to the most difficult moments of my life. Mbizo is the only constituency in the country where we gained victory through bloodshed because we lost one of our supporters, Mboneni Ncube, during the campaigns.
“Zanu PF thinks by intimidating and killing people, people will be discouraged, but that’s not the case.
“People are prepared for change and they are prepared for that change even if it means death by voting for the CCC,” he said.
The Nelson Chamisa led CCC won 19 parliamentary seats out of 28. Zanu-PF won 9 and Douglas Mwonzora’s MDC-T garnered zero.
