Settlement Chikwinya is the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) candidate for Mbizo constituency in the March 26 by-elections.
Chikwinya, the former legislator for the constituency, was recalled in March last year by his former party PDP, will lock horns with four other candidates namely ZANU-PF’s Vongaishe Mupereri, Lovemore Chibukwe of the United Democratic Alliance (UDA), Eventhough Brave Mapfumo (MDC-Alliance) and Gladys Mutunami of the United Zimbabwe Alliance (UZA).
Chikwinya says his message to the electorate is simple.
“This is a by-election,” he said.
“We have a constitutional mandate as citizens to reclaim our space in Parliament and provide accountability and transparency. MPs once elected have a constitutional duty to put the government in check, to restore constitutionalism and parliamentary democracy.”
He believes parliamentary democracy has been decimated by politicians who embedded themselves with the state.
“Seen in the compromise of one Douglas Mwonzora and remaining MPs who no longer provide any debate or alternative to ZANU-PF, purely on the basis that they are now a compromised outlet,” Chikwinya said.
He added: “There is no more confusion between MDC Alliance and CCC. People have one choice alone,” he said.
Under the MDC-T ticket, Chikwinya has been an MP for Mbizo from 2008 until 2014 when he broke away with Tendai Biti and others to form the People’s Democratic Party (PDP). In 2018 he bounced back in Parliament representing the same constituency under the MDC Alliance until PDP recalled him.
During his time in the National Assembly Chikwinya had an opportunity to chair the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Media Information and Technology.
