More bigwigs and veteran MPs fall in Zanu PF primary elections

The ruling Zanu PF party on Wednesday announced results from another 75 constituencies with those for the remaining 20 expected later in the day.

The results brought to 180 the constituencies that have so far been announced after those from 115 others had been released since Sunday.

Party national political commissar Dr Mike Bimha announced the results, which showed that the list of party heavyweights and sitting legislators who have fallen by the wayside continues to grow.

According to the latest results, Zanu PF chairman for Manicaland province Mike Madiro lost to Admire Mahachi in the race to represent the party in Mutare North constituency in general elections expected later this year.

Former opposition MDC Alliance top official Tongai Mathutu, who was allowed to stand in the primaries, lost to Sheila Chikomo in Mwenezi East, while Elias Musakwa was beaten by Natiso Makusha in the Bikita West constituency.

In Zvimba West, Mercy Dinha defeated former Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi while in Bikita South, former deputy Information Minister, Energy Mutodi won the ticket to represent the constituency.

Mutodi beat another candidate, who, like him, left Mashonaland East province last year to contest in the Masvingo constituency, Ignatius Mateveke, who contested in Marondera Central in the previous primary elections.

Addressing the media at the party headquarters, Bimha urged members and the general public not to rely on any other sources of information when getting the election results except through his office.

“For purposes of making sure that our electorate is aware of what they voted for and who is leading, we will continue to announce these results as they come and again, to state that any announcement in terms of these results from whatever source will not be official as we would like the official announcement to be made from this command centre,” he said.

He said the results he was announcing are not final, but just preliminary ones as there were other processes to be followed before they became official.

The results were subject to changes brought about by recommendations that the ad hoc special tribunal made as well as from deliberations of the Politburo.

Bimha said complaints from aggrieved losing candidates were still trickling in, adding that the ad hoc special tribunal was in session looking at the complaints that came on Tuesday day and on Wednesday morning.

“We anticipate closing this session at the end of day today and if there are more, we will probably go into the evening or into the night to make sure that we do justice to all these complaints,” he said. New Ziana