The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) on Friday, 08 December cancelled a by-election for the Mabvuku-Tafara National Assembly constituency and declared the ZANU PF candidate Pedzai Sakupwanya as the winner.
In a statement, ZEC Chief Elections Officer Utoile Silaigwana said Sakupwanya became the sole candidate for the Mabvuku-Tafara by-election after the other candidate, CCC’s Munyaradzi Kufahakutizwi’s candidature was set aside by the High Court.
Since there were only two candidates for the Mabvuku-Tafara by-election, therefore Kufahakutizwi’s disqualification means that Sakupwanya has won the seat uncontested. Read the statement:
Further to the press release issued by the Commission on 07 November 2023, it is hereby notified that the candidature of Kufahakutizwi Febion Munyaradzi of CCC was also set aside by the High Court Order in the matter HCH7543/23.
Since there were only two candidates nominated for the Mabvuku-Tafara National Assembly constituency by-election, Sakupwanya Pedzai of ZANU (PF) is the sole candidate that was duly nominated, hence there will be no by-election in that Constituency on 09 December 2023.
Consequently, the public is hereby notified that Pedzai Sakupwanya of ZANU (PF) has been duly elected member of the National Assembly for Mabvuku-Tafara Constituency with effect from 9 December 2023.
Meanwhile, CCC has urged voters to turn out in their numbers and vote for the party’s candidates in by-elections scheduled for Saturday, 09 December.
In a statement, CCC spokesperson Promise Mkwananzi said a High Court ruling barring recalled CCC candidates from the poll, and the announcement by ZEC Chief Elections Officer, Utoile Silaigwana to withdraw ballot papers from the constituencies, have been nullified by the party’s appeal against the ruling at the Supreme Court.
