By Ronaldo Mapingire
ZANU PF increased its representation in Parliament by securing two additional seats in the by-elections held on Saturday in the Mt Pleasant and Harare East constituencies.
In Harare East, ZANU PF candidate Kiven Mutimbanyoka won with 3,533 votes, while independent candidate Ropafadzo Cynthia Cheza received 1,974 votes.
In the Mt Pleasant Constituency, George Mashavave of ZANU PF triumphed with 3,205 votes, defeating independent candidates Mamuse Nason and Ticky Brian, who secured 945 and 220 votes, respectively.
The by-elections were organized to fill the vacancies left by the resignation of CCC legislators Fadzai Mahere in Mt Pleasant and Allan Markham in Harare East.
The ruling party has maintained a strong performance in most by-elections following the August 2023 harmonized elections, capitalizing on the opposition’s disarray after the collapse of its so called Strategic Ambiguity strategy.
According to the Zimbabwe Election Support Network, the by-elections were well-conducted, with polling stations opening on time and equipped with essential materials such as ballot boxes, ballot papers, indelible finger markers, and voters’ rolls.
These by-elections underscore the importance of the legal process as a means for political parties and politicians to legitimately earn the people’s mandate.
