Recent threats by Thokozani Khupe’s MDC-T party to overturn the candidature of MDC Alliance’s Judith Tobaiwa, ahead of the forthcoming Kwekwe Central constituency by-elections is a show of desperation on the part of the Khupe camp, the Nelson Chamisa-led MDC-A has said.
According to the MDC-A’s provincial spokesperson for the Midlands, Searchmore Muringani, the party’s rival Khupe camp is now ‘running out of ideas’ on how to derail the debatably popular oppositional institution under Chamisa’s presidency.
Muringani said the candidature of Tobaiwa, who is also daughter to current Kwekwe deputy mayor Shadreck Tobaiwa, was irreversible after she recently triumphed against the odds in a tight primary poll contest pitting heavyweights who include former Kwekwe MP Blessing Chebundo and ex-Health minister Henry Madzorera.
Tobaiwa could become the first female MP for Kwekwe if she wins the by-elections.
“It’s actually shocking and a clear sign of desperation ( by the Khupe camp),” Muringani told Zwnews in an interview this week.
“In actual fact, we are not moved by such laughable sentiments because we are confident of retaining the seat, after we successfully held our primary elections. Me Tobaiwa, who emerged victorious in the elections,, is the official candidate of the MDC Alliance led by President Chamisa,” he said.
The MDC-T reportedly threatened to stop Tobaiwa from contesting in the Kwekwe Central by-elections. The seat fell vacant following the demise of late National Patriotic Front (NPF) legislator Masango ‘Blackman’ Matambanadzo in July.
Candidates who are set to face Tobaiwa in the potentially explosive Kwekwe by-elections are still not yet clear after the ruling Zanu PF failed to come up with a sole candidate to represent the party in the wake of rely scenes at its district headquarters, over a week ago.
This was after party youths aligned to Energy Ncube allegedly attacked members of the presiding team in the aborted primaries.
In the wake of poorly evidenced allegations of bribery and voter manipulation, Ncube’s supporters allegedly attacked the presiding officers who include Zanu PF deputy provincial chairperson Robson Nyathi.
Ncube was facing the party’s 2018 parliamentary candidate, Kandros Mugabe in the eventually abandoned elections.
Zwnews
