The ruling ZANU-PF party failed to take advantage of the double candidates fielded in Emganwini (Ward 26) by the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) and lost the seat on Saturday’s by-elections.
In the 2018 national elections, ZANU-PF’s candidate Raj Modi managed to wrestle the Bulawayo South seat from the opposition MDC Alliance after the party fielded two candidates in the constituency.
The Bulawayo South constituency seat became ZANU-PF’s first parliamentary seat in the city, often considered the opposition’s stronghold.
But at the recent by-election held last Saturday, the ZANU-PF candidate, Lungisani Sibanda lost an opportunity to grab the council seat from the opposition, as he polled 418 votes against CCC’s Mpumelelo Moyo who won by 748 votes.
The other CCC candidate, Norman Hlabano, former councillor of the area who was recalled by MDC-T garnered 261 votes.
ZANU-PF did not win a single seat in Bulawayo in the just held by-elections.
CCC’s fielding of two candidates was exposed at the Nomination Court for local authorities on January 26, when two candidates for Ward 26 and Ward 9 in (Mpopoma and Matshobana) filed nomination papers.
This development shocked people as CCC claimed it was a new party, therefore pledged to listen and respect the choices of its supporters.
In Ward 9, Bekithemba Nyathi later dropped out of the race paving way for the former councillor Donaldson Mabuto but in Ward 26, the CCC party failed to resolve who would stand, as both candidates vowed to run.
The imposition of candidates has been more pronounced in the opposition and particularly in 2018, especially in the parliamentary election where many constituencies were lost by the then MDC Alliance to the ruling ZANU-PF.
Meanwhile, the incoming Ward 26 councillor has promised to work with residents to develop public infrastructures and leave a legacy for future generations.
Born in Matshetsheni Gwanda, Moyo did his primary education at Mtshingwe Primary in Emakhandeni, after which he proceeded to Luveve High School where he did his form 1 up to Advanced level and briefly taught Mathematics.
For his tertiary education Moyo went to the National University of Science and Technology (NUST) and graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce Honours Degree in Insurance and Risk Management.
“I am looking at using the skills that I got from where I work to help us in developing the community, I am not looking at downgrading the ward but I am hoping to raise the ward,” said Moyo.
