By Staff Reporter
Despite Zanu PF holding a reconciliatory workshop to bring together winning and losing candidates during its primary elections, some have defied the order by its leader President Emmerson Mnangagwa to bury the hatchet by filing papers as independents at the Nomination court which sat at Mutare Magistrates Courts Thursday.
There were some surprises after incumbent Makoni North legislator Batsirai Pemhenayi who lost to Zanu PF provincial chairperson Mike Madiro in the primaries successfully filed his nomination papers as an independent candidate.
Pemhenayi said he was simply respecting a request by people in his constituency who asked him to represent them in parliament once again.
Sitting Buhera South legislator Joseph Chinotimba`s joy of winning the party primaries uncontested may be short lived after his rival Ngoni Mudekunye filed his papers as an Independent candidate. Mudekunye accused Chinotimba of using dirty tactics to stop him from contesting in the primaries.
In Nyanga South, the incumbent and ICT minister Supa Mandiwanzira will have to tighten his belt after his rival in the Zanu PF primaries Talent Kadzima made a decision to go solo.
Another surprise was in Chikanga-Dangamvura where the controversial gospel singer Hosiah Chipanga successfully filed his papers as an independent candidate.
Chipanga, who is popularly known as Kwachu Kwachu in the music circles due to his controversial lyrics, will battle it out against the incumbent Esau Mupfumi of Zanu PF and Prosper Mutseyami of the MDC Alliance.
Mutseyami will now represent MDC Alliance after his rival Lynette Karenyi was seconded to Proportional Representation following a protracted struggle.
Supporters of Karenyi accused the MDC leadership of imposing Mutseyami in Dangamvura Chikanga constituency.
However, MDC-T Provincial spokesperson, Trevor Saruwaka said the allegations of imposition were sour grapes since Mutseyami’s candidature was validated through elections.
He said the party will wait for a further instruction on the issue from the national leadership.
