Losing MDC Alliance Bulawayo Municipality Ward 28 by-election aspiring candidate Nomagugu Mloyi has vowed to stand in the upcoming polls despite losing in the chaos-riddled primary elections held last week.
The move is likely to create confusion in the party as two candidates from the main opposition party will go head to head a situation which is likely to split votes and favour other candidates vying for the vacant post.
Mloyi lost in the party`s primary elections last week to former Councillor Alderman Collet Ndhlovu who is seeking a third term in office after previously serving as a councillor for 10 years.
There was an instruction from the party that the candidate who loses in the primary election would withdraw their candidature from the by-election set for March 30.
However, both candidates had already successfully filed their papers at the nomination court a fortnight ago.
Contacted for a comment Mloyi said she was going ahead with her campaigns and will not withdraw her candidature.
“I did not receive any instruction from the party to step down and I will continue with my campaign as I was put there by the party,” said a defiant Mloyi.
Mloyi said she lodged an appeal in writing to the party`s Chief of Staff Sesil Zvidzai on the outcome of the primary elections.
“I wrote a letter to Zvidzai after the primary elections to register my dissatisfaction in the way the primary elections were run and he responded noting that they received the letter,” she said.
“The election was not free and fair, there were lots of irregularities, my campaign team was displaced during the day of the election and we were supposed to use the ZEC voters roll as well as the 2014 congress party structures but that was changed at the last minutes”.
Mloyi also claimed that party members from other wards were allowed to vote during the primary elections.
According to party insiders, the matter was discussed at the National Standing Committee meeting held in Harare yesterday but it was stood down after the members failed to arrive at a conclusion on the matter.
Contacted for a comment Zvidzai said the party will ensure one candidate emerges before the by-election is held.
“There is still a possibility of us ending up with one candidate despite missing the window of opportunity to withdraw one of our candidates,” said Zvidzai.
“We will at the same time handle any complaints that come from either of the two candidates. We are confident that we will end up with one candidate and the other candidate will offer support to the one representing the party.
Mloyi also dismissed as propaganda a letter purportedly written by the party`s national chairperson Thabitha Khumalo expelling Mloyi from the party for defying a party directive by refusing to withdraw her candidature.
“I think the letter is fake, we spoke to the national chairperson (Thabitha Khumalo) and she said she did not write the letter”.
Khumalo said she was out of the country when sought for comment and referred the publication to “party officials on the ground”.
Mloyi added that she was being vilified by some party members “because I am a woman”.
Mloyi said she was confident of winning in the by-election as she had massive support from the electorate.
