Vice President Constantino Chiwenga has urged voters in the Harare East constituency to vote for the ZANU PF candidate, Kiven Mutimbanyoka, in the upcoming by-election, saying they should correct “the mistake” they made in the August 2023 harmonized elections, reported NewsDay.
The seat was won by Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) candidate Allan Markham in the harmonised elections.
Markham, however, resigned from Parliament after the party’s former leader Nelson Chamisa quit CCC towards the end of January this year alleging the party had been hijacked by ZANU PF.
Addressing ZANU PF supporters at a rally at Chikurubi Damview on Sunday, Chiwenga reminded voters of April 28, 1897, which he said marked the beginning of the Second Chimurenga.
The by-election will be held on 27 April, and Chiwenga told the country that April 28, a day after the by-elections, was the day when spirit mediums, Mbuya Nehanda and Sekuru Kaguvi, who inspired the First Chimurenga, were beheaded. Said Chiwenga:
The Harare East by-elections have allowed us to correct and restore the political status quo and correct the mistake of the August 2023 elections.
This opportunity must not be misused because our woes will not end. April 27 is an important day among the youth and all the adults.
It is the last day of Mbuya Nehanda and Sekuru Kaguvi in flesh because on the 28th when we will be celebrating Mutimbanyoka’s victory, that is the day they were beheaded along Tongogara Street after they had been sentenced to death.
On the 28th when we should be celebrating the victory is the day when the second liberation war started in Chinhoyi.
So those dates 27 and 28 are significant dates in relation to the by-election that we are looking forward to. We should remember where Zimbabwe came from.
Remember where the Zimbabwe that you want to sell out like you are selling tomatoes came from.
Mutimbanyoka will contest against Ropafadzo Cheza, an independent candidate for the vacant Harare East National Assembly seat.
Another by-election will be held in Mount Pleasant on 27 April after the incumbent, Fadzayi Mahere (CCC) resigned.
ZANU PF’s George Mashavave and two independent candidates, Naison Mamutse and Brian Ticky, are running for the Mount Pleasant seat.
ZANU PF political commissar Mike Bimha represented Vice President Kembo Mohadi at another rally in Mt Pleasant.
Meanwhile, ZANU PF Harare metropolitan provincial vice chairman Ephraim Fundukwa said that the party had deployed Forever Associates Zimbabwe (FAZ), Heritage Trust and Young Women for ED members to campaign for the candidates.
