Sandra Ndebele and two football club owners win Zanu-PF elections

Popular musician and dancer Sandra Ndebele will represent Zanu-PF in Pelandaba, Bulawayo in the council elections scheduled for later this year after winning Zanu-PF primary elections over the weekend.

Preliminary results coming in from Zanu-PF also indicate that two owners of Premier Soccer League (PSL) clubs Innocent Benza and Farai Jere have also won the right to contest for Parliament on a Zanu PF ticket.

Benza who plays for and owns Herentals Football Club, is eyeing Mutasa Central constituency in Manicaland Province.

Jere, the president of CAPS United Football Club and the Castle Lager Premier Soccer League, will contest the Murewa (Murehwa) West constituency in Mashonaland East Province on a Zanu-PF ticket in the upcoming general elections.

The upcoming election is likely to be interesting following a huge change in the Zanu-PF support base.

It is emerging that the party’s bigwigs are falling in internal polls. It is widely believed that President Emmerson Mnangagwa is consolidating his power-base by loosening and not ring-fencing positions for veterans and hand-clappers while attracting young turks.

Sandra Ndebele is now, officially, Zanu-PF aspiring councillor for Ward 20 Pelandaba Tshabalala (Bulawayo).

In 2021, Norton legislator Temba Mliswa accused Zanu-PF of allegedly capturing Ndebele after she was appointed Bulawayo representative for Young Women in Economic Development.

“Another dry, cut and paste job as Zanu-PF has appointed Sandra Ndebele as their Bulawayo representative for Young Women in Economic Development. However, the abiding idea behind the move makes the whole thing pitiful. It’s a clear scramble for popularity and youth support.

“The move exhibits a low regard for the Zimbabwean electorate’s mentality. People can now see beyond these platitudinous actions which seek to harness and transfer popularity from a different sphere into the party’s community of politics,” said Mliswa.

Some of Zanu-PF’s big names that have lost the party’s internal plebiscite are:

John Mangwiro, Dexter Nduna, Mary Mliswa, Phillip Chiyangwa and Joseph Chinotimba, David Musabayana, Sekai Nzenza, Girovah Dzapasi, Patrick Dutiro, Simbaneuta Mudarikwa, Jenfan Muswere, Matsikenyere, Kindness Paradza, Abednico Ncube.