Beverly Bizeki
Zanu PF has won two wards which have previously been opposition strongholds in Zaka district in the August 23 harmonized elections leaving Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) with only one ward out of 34 in the district.
The two wards; 11 and 22 which are both in Zaka North were won by Zanu PF’s Fibion Chinyakata and Stephen Paradza respectively.
In ward 11 Chinyakata got 849 votes defeating CCC’s Elias Mawoneke, the sitting councilor who got 688.
Paradza won with 757 votes in ward 22 defeating CCC’s Lawrence Jengetha who got 675 votes and has been councilor for the ward since 2008.
Zanu PF Provincial Spokesperson Pepukai Chiwewe said they were happy to have reclaimed the seats from the opposition in Zaka District.
“As Zanu PF we are happy to have been able to reclaim the two seats in Zaka district which were being represented by the opposition. We are now in charge of 33 wards out of 34 in the same district and hope to reclaim the other ward in the next election,” said Chiwewe.
CCC won ward 19 (Jerera) which is the party’s stronghold in Zaka Central where Albert Mazvanya popularly known as Tabika won after getting 1 329 votes against Zanu PF’s Peter Mujenge who got 805 votes.
Mazvanya replaces CCC’s Peter Imbayarwo who has been councilor since 2008 and went on to contest for Zaka Central Constituency which he lost to Davis Marapira of Zanu PF.
In Masvingo Urban, CCC snatched wards 6 and 8 which were previously occupied by Zanu PF leaving the ruling party with only one ward.
Ward 10 electorate are mainly members of the Zimbabwe National Army stationed at 4 Infantry Brigade in Masvingo.
