Brighton Chiseva
There will be a battle for titans in the newly created Chiredzi Central Constituency as the town council chairperson will battle it out to represent the mostly urban constituency with his predecessor and his deputy.
The battle will be between former Chairperson Francis Moyo who sailed through the Zanu PF primaries after thrashing incumbent Chiredzi West Farai Musikavanhu.
Moyo was council chairperson from 2013 to 2018 before taking a sabbatical in 2018 and resurfaced now with parliamentary ambitions.
In 2018, Gibson Hwende was voted council chairperson and was was conferred Aldermanship, is being deputized by Ropafadzo Makumire who went into council and as independent and later joined the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) during its formation.
However, both Hwende and Makumire were nominated during the first stage of CCC candidate selection process.
Hwende was then disqualified midway leaving the main battle between Makumire and the United Kingdom based John Maganye.
Makumire went on to sail through the final stages of the process securing the ticket to represent the party in the August 23 harmonized elections
Speaking at a press conference which he held jointly with fellow independent candidate Collen Maboke in Masvingo soon after filing their nominations, Hwende said he decided to stand as independent after being disqualified without explanation.
Just like Maboke, Hwende said he did not receive any communication of his disqualification and he appealed to the relevant authorities but he did not receive a response.
A follow up again on the same matter yielded no results and he was then forced to go back to the people who had nominated him who assured him that they will stand with him.
“I did not receive any communication from the party as to why I was disqualified, I tried to appeal but I got no response, I followed up but I did not receive any answer,”
I then went back to the biggest party which is the electorate, I asked them for way forward and they asked me to represent them that Is why I have decided to file for nomination as an independent candidate,”
Hwende went on to blame CCC party leader Nelson Chamisa for failing to reach out to him saying they had a cordial relationship but doesn’t know what went wrong.
“Chamisa as a father was supposed to reach out to me, after 2018 elections, I would coordinate all his visits here and provide all necessary requirements but I don’t know where we fell out, I have been working for the party all along even when I was sick I would provide resources and my vehicle for party business but I don’t know where the problem was.
I was nominated by people which means they want me to be their representative and that is what I am going to do,” said Hwende.
Hwende further said he was not approached by any party to be their candidate as it was being said Mwonzora and Saviour Kasukuwere were approaching disgruntled Zanu PF and CCC members to be their candidates.
“I heard they were approaching people to be their candidates but they never approached me, I will not join any political party as of now. The party I will represent are the people who will vote for me.’
He went on to say victory was certain for him as he enjoyed support from people who know his contribution to the betterment of the town since he became council chairperson.
Just like Hwende, in Masvingo Maboke will also face his deputy Wellingtom Mahwende for Masvingo Urban Constituency.
