Cephas Shava
Mwenezi –With regular/periodic free and fair elections being a yardstick for thriving democracy in a nation, Mwenezi East’s successive by-elections which on March 26 is set to hold its 4th election inside seven years, a factor proving nothing more than a double-edged sword for the long-standing orphaned constituency.
Since the recall of former Zanu PF Mwenezi East legislator Kudakwashe Bhasikiti in 2015, his two successors’ tenures ended prematurely before implementing any meaningful project.
Joshua ‘MaZebra’ Moyo who took over from Bhasikiti in July 2015 died on December 24, 2016. Moyo’s successor Joosbi Omar who won the Mwenezi East ticket following the April 2017 by-election was during the 2018 harmonised elections re-elected legislator only to succumb to Covid-19 in October 2020 leaving the constituency vacant again.
The constituency has for the past seven years been the province if not the entire country’s leading by-election host district owing to short-lived legislators. This has left the legislator’s office a disservice to the electorate who for long have been kept in electoral mode and at the mercy of politicians who merely offer nothing other than voluminous unfulfilled promises.
Bhasikiti’s successor, Moyo whom many locals regarded as the constituency’s hardworking, modest legislator served only from July 2015 and died on December 24 the following year. Given his short stint as legislator, judging Moyo could be a misnomer.
Replacing Moyo in the April 2017 by-elections, Omar, resourceful as he was managed to win the hearts of many who re-elected him in 2018 to represent Mwenezi East only for him to die in October 2020 following a short illness.
Although some critics are of the view that Omar made many promises during his campaigns and delivered too little when he got hold of the legislative steering, with at least some pointers of development attributed to his name still existing. A bakery pioneered by himself is functioning at Rutenga Growth Point. Some schools also got a share of desks and cement from the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) and some from his own personal resources.
The untimely death of previous Mwenezi East legislators within the past seven years is a major setback to the electorate. The sentiment was shared by longtime ward 3 councillor, Samuel Mabena.
Mabena who was also signatory to the late Omar’s CDF account told TellZim News that the short-lives of the Constituency’s legislators was a huge blow to the electorate.
“Before the late Omar’s death, we received CDF and managed to purchase sizeable bags of cement and desks among several other goods for some schools around the constituency. However, after the MP’s death, the district has not accessed any CDF funds but other areas with parliamentarians are receiving their share. So the absence of a legislator is greatly disadvantaging the constituency,” said Mabena.
Other locals felt the successive by-elections have done nothing for the betterment of the electorate except empty promises.
John Moyo a resident of Mwenezi East’s ward 13 argues that the by-elections have for the past years save as a wastage of resources which could have better been channeled towards the upliftment of stagnant projects which can usher a fresh dawn for the ordinary village folk.
“These regular by-elections are proving to be a disservice to the constituency and the entire country. Right now no meaningful project has yielded any result by these short-lived politicians who have been feeding us with fake promises. A notable example of a district’s dummy was the ground breaking ceremony to open the much awaited Manyuchi Irrigation which was conducted decades ago and thereafter politicians of different caliber visited the site with grand promises but to-date the area that was destined for the irrigation has developed a thick forest.
“There are no meaningful developments to showcase here despite the fact that the constituency has vast riches which include lucrative game reserves, mighty underutilized Manyuchi dam and high quality cattle among several others,” said Moyo.
Given the little resourced Mwenezi East candidates who will stand in the March 26 by-elections namely Zanu PF’s Master Makope, Citizen Coalition for Change (CCC)’s Tendekai Mandizvidza and FreeZim Congress’s Turner Mhango, critics argue that nothing much if any is going to be implemented by whoever is going to win the seat before next year’s harmonized polls.
The electorate only waits to see if ever their fate will change.
