Francis Moyo
Beatific Gumbwanda
CHIREDZI – At least Six councillors are already jostling to take over from outgoing town chairperson Francis Moyo, TellZim News can reveal.
With four councillors, Zanu PF has an upper hand over MDC Alliance which has three, and will have to rely on the vote of independent councillor, Ropafadzo Makumire for a stalemate at best, when the issue goes to a vote.
Two MDC Alliance councillors, one incumbent and the other incoming, are said to be interested in the job, while Moyo – who is from Zanu PF – is said to be doing the bidding for his party’s Josphat Nzombe of Ward 8.
“I have already started engaging fellow councillors to ask for their votes but the field is not level as some are said to be using money to buy votes,” said Nzombe.
Another Zanu PF councillor, Obert Ngwenya (Ward 2) is also interested in the post and has been accused of using his resources to buy votes.
“I have since begun soliciting for votes so that I can be council chairman. I am, however, not doing any vote buying and there is no any form of corruption involved. I am running a clean campaign for votes,” said Ngwenya.
Liberty Macharaga of Zanu PF said he was still considering his options on whether or not to join the race.
“I am yet to decide. If I choose not to contest, I will support whoever I think carries our hopes better. We need good leaders so we must be careful whom we choose, it should not always be about him or her belonging to this or that political party,” said Macharaga.
On his part, Makumire revealed that three councillors had come and pleaded with him to vote for them.
“A lot of people are interested. So far three have visited me looking for my vote but what I want to make clear is that I will not vote for any candidate who served in the previous council,” said Makumire.politics