Political rivals Zanu PF and the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) will once again test their popularity when they square up again next month in six Binga Rural District Council polls.
Six council seats became vacant following the recall of six councillors by the Douglas Mwonzora-led MDC-T.
The nomination court to receive the nomination papers for aspiring candidates set on November 3 while the mini-polls will be held on December 3.
The two parties will also battle it out in three Gweru Municipality wards and one in Victoria Falls Municipality.
This is the last time these political parties will test their muscle before the 2023 general elections after the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) barred the holding of by-elections for any seat that becomes vacant after 1 November 2022.
In Binga’s ward 6, it will be a three-horse race pitting Felix Musaka of the National Constitutional Assembly (NCA), Misheck Mwinde of Zanu PF and Joseph Mwembe of the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) who won the seat in 2018 garnering 2,302 votes for the MDC-Alliance.
In ward 8, Collen Mudenda of Zanu PF will square up against Mathias Mudenda of CCC. Mudenda who was also representing MDC Alliance polled 1,087 against Zanu PF’s Andson Muzamba who got 351 in the 2018 elections.
In ward 10, John Simunene Sikabotu will try and reclaim his seat when he faces Ronald Muleya of Zanu PF. In 2018, Sikabotu received 1,168 votes against Zanu PF’s Clay Mudimba who got 412.
In Ward 15, Wilson Siampolomba who prevailed with 1,237 votes against Bernard Mudenda who polled 650 votes, will this time face Douglas Munkuli of the ruling party.
Ward 20, will see Crispen Munkuli battle it out with Luyando Muleya of Zanu PF. In 2018, Munkuli beat Zanu PF’s Kenne Mumpande by 1140 votes to 445.
In ward 23, Kingson Mpofu will be hoping to quickly bounce back into office when he faces Petros Mutale of Zanu PF. In 2018, Mpofu beat the ruling party’s candidate Patrick Dube amassing 1,334 votes while Dube only managed 787 votes.
The ruling party has struggled to win elections in Binga, one of the country’s impoverished districts since the formation of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) in 2000.
