Cephas Shava
Mwenezi –Three teachers from Mwenezi East are going to battle it out at the March 26 by-elections to replace the late Zanu PF legislator Joosbi Omar who left the seat vacant in 2020.
All the three candidates are long time serving teachers in the district and the winner, above all else is expected to address education related issues in the constituency.
Zanu PF will be represented by Master Makope while Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) will be represented by Tendekai Mandizvidza. Joseph Busha’s Free Zimbabwe Congress (FZC)’s will be represented by Turner Mhango.
If experience in governance is anything to go by, Makope is the best candidate for the seat having served as a councillor for quite a long time. The 46 year former Mwenezi RDC vice chairperson is a holder of BA General Degree from University of Zimbabwe (UZ) and BSc Honours degree in Geography and Environmental Science from Great Zimbabwe University (GZU).
Born and bred in Zvirikure village’s ward 5 under Chief Neshuro in Mwenezi, Makope later became councillor between 2013 and 2018.
Makope taught at Mwenezi Government High School for 18 years and held various positions of leadership in the schools administration and sports before he was promoted to head Avhunga Secondary School in 2020.
In Zanu PF he held a position of secretary for education for Chidzine District from 2002 to date and is the current district political commissar.
During his tenure as ward five councillor, he spearheaded a number of developmental projects including the construction and rehabilitation of dams and boreholes.
As the current Zanu PF Mwenezi District Political Commissar (PC) and confident of victory, Makope told TellZim News that having already ignited the district’s development agenda, he is well-versed with the problems and have credible solutions to the electorate’s plight.
“As a son of Mwenezi, I know our problems and possible solutions. I am looking for Mwenezi East at a bigger picture. During my tenure as ward 5 councillor, I initiated the construction and rehabilitation of several dams. I managed to increase the number of functional boreholes from 36 to 73 in ward 5 and as an MP I will work to increase the number in the province.
“My major target is to quickly address real concerns of the people of Mwenezi East. Rehabilitation and drilling of boreholes is an ongoing process which I started way back and have been covering the entire district. Road maintenance, improving social amenities, fighting corruption, youth and women empowerment are among my priority list,” said Makope.
Though Mwenezi has been regarded as Zanu PF’s traditional powerhouse, humble as he is Makope is likely to garner additional votes from people of diverse political groupings, not because they like his political party but they seem to believe in the ‘Man himself’ and are seemingly convinced he is among the best locals to take the post.
The Nelson Chamisa-led Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) candidate Mandizvidza (59) is a long time teacher who is a holder of a BA Honours from University Zimbabwe. The man is well known in the district as before his retirement from teaching in 2015 since 1982, taught at several schools among them Hebron, Neshuro, Batanai, Masvitsi and Nikita among others.
Mandizvidza who is the current party’s district treasurer joined politics during his days at UZ where he engaged in student activism.
He told TellZim News that he is confident and if given the mandate to represent the people of Mwenezi East, he has the ultimate solutions to the long forgotten people of the constituency.
“I am confident of victory. The electorate is tired of empty promises that the ruling party has been promising since time immemorial. If elected, I will expeditiously work on the district’s roads, clinics and schools which have been in shambles for too long especially those in resettlement areas.
“We have a lot of resources in the district which are underutilised notably Manyuchi Dam. My immediate plan is to ensure that locals reap tangible benefits from the water body,” said Mandizvidza.
Another Mwenezi East aspirant FZC’s Mhango born at Matibi Mission Hospital on May 16, 1978 has also been into teaching since 2003.
A holder of a diploma in education from Morgenster Teachers College, Mhango taught at Matande Primary School before transferring to Masogwe Primary School where he is currently stationed.
He joined active politics soon after the formation of the MDC in 1999, occupying the position of youth district treasurer until towards 2013 elections.
Although Mhango remained in the MDC-T after the 2005 split, subsequent disagreements in the party made him leave the party in the run up to the 2013 harmonised elections. He later on came back to active politics under the FZC banner.
Having contested in the previous by-elections to replace the late MP Joshua Moyo who died in 2016 and garnering a few votes, Mhango is still confident to win the right to represent the constituency in the National Assembly.
“I am a man of action who is well-versed in district’s needs and I have the solutions. I hope people across the political divide will vote for me because I am a man of action. People are tired of being tossed around by Zanu PF and other opposition parties who seem to have no solutions,” said Mhango.
Mhango owns a company, View World Installations, which deals with installing satellite dishes and other related services.
