The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) is ready to hold by-elections in Mount Pleasant and Harare East constituencies, where 106 polling stations have been identified.
“We are notified under Section 51(3) of the Electoral Act (Chapter 2:13) that the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission has identified one hundred and six (106) polling stations where polling will be held on Saturday 27 April 2024 in the by-election. ZEC Chief Electoral Officer Mr. Utloile Silaigwana said in a statement: “Polling stations must be located in the designated centres.”
He said that voting will take place from seven in the morning until seven in the evening to elect members of the specified electoral districts in the National Assembly.
President Mnangagwa announced April 27 as the date for by-elections in Mount Pleasant and Harare East constituencies following the resignations of Ms Fadzai Mahiri and Mr Norman Rusty Markham, respectively.
Five candidates submitted their papers to run in the elections.
The nomination court convened at the Harare Magistrates’ Courts to receive papers and closed at 4pm on Tuesday last week as seven potential candidates submitted their nomination papers.
However, only five were duly nominated at the end of the verification exercise after one of the aspirants withdrew for not raising the nomination fee in time, while the other failed to find five voters willing to nominate him in the constituency.
In the Mount Pleasant constituency, Zanu PF’s Leader George Mashava will compete against independent candidates Mr Nayson Mamus and Mr Brian Tiki.
In Harare East, Zanu Patriotic Front leader Kevin Mutembanyuka will compete against Ms Rubavadzo Sethia Chiesa, who is running as an independent candidate.
Meanwhile, Zanu PF deployed its campaign teams for the by-elections to ensure a resounding victory.
The Revolutionary Party has so far won most of the by-elections held across the country since the coordinated general elections held last August.
Over the weekend, Zanu PF candidate, Christine Sijawake, won the local authority ward 3 by-election in Redcliffe constituency, Kwekwe District. The ward has been in the hands of the opposition party for more than two decades. Announce
