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Patrick Chitumba/Leonard Ncube/Pamela Shumba, Chronicle Reporters
THE forthcoming Zanu PF primary elections should be centred on promoting the ruling party under the stewardship of President Mnangagwa as the party of choice ahead of the individual candidates, the party’s provincial leaders have said.

Provincial Coordinating Committee (PCC) meetings were held in Midlands, Matabeleland North and South yesterday to set the tone for campaigning ahead of the primary elections to be held on Sunday.

The ruling party announced the final list of candidates to contest in the primary elections at the weekend.

Announcing the approved list of individuals who will contest the party’s primary elections over the weekend in Midlands province, the provincial chairperson Engineer Daniel Mackenzie Ncube urged the approved candidates to consider the party first before personal praises.

He said the party candidates were representing President Mnangagwa and therefore should go all out in full force to make sure that winners and losers from the primary elections campaign for the President.

“We have a total of 138 approved names for 28 constituencies in the province and as we go for the primary elections, candidates are being advised against mudslinging each other. Focus should be on President Mnangagwa and the party. President Mnangagwa should be first in these primary elections where we will have winners and losers. Either way candidates are urged to promote #EDhasMyVote,” he said.

Eng Ncube said the primary elections should be free, fair and transparent ahead of the harmonised elections which President Mnangagwa has said should also be free, fair and transparent.

“Charity begins at home and these primary elections should be free, fair and transparent as the President is always saying. Let’s not denigrate each other. Put values of the party first,” he said.

“We sent names to the national elections committee which saw some being approved and some not approved. We have an internal party dispute resolution and those who feel aggrieved should appeal now.”

Eng Ncube said Foreign Affairs and International Trade Minister Lieutenant-General Sibusiso Moyo (Retired) had his curriculum virtue to stand for the Mberengwa Senatorial seat confirmed unchallenged together with the Minister of State for Provincial Affairs Cde Owen Ncube for Gokwe- Kana constituency.

Cde Simbarashe Mumbengegwi and Dr Larry Mavhima, Eng Ncube said, will square it off for the Shurugwi- Zvishavane senatorial seat.

The Matabeleland North PCC met at the party’s Lupane offices yesterday where members were apprised of names of aspiring candidates who made it to the final list.

Members noted that there are some names that were missing while mop up of cell verification in some wards in Binga, Bubi, Nkayi, Tsholotsho and Umguza will be done today, as candidates were told to start campaigning.

Provincial chairman Cde Richard Moyo urged those with queries to contact the party’s headquarters in Harare as the province had sent all the CVs that were submitted.

He said aspiring candidates are supposed to campaign together, while verified cell registers will be used as the voters’ roll.

“As a province we sent everything and those with complaints please contact Harare. The campaign period has started but let’s do it peacefully. This is an internal process and if you see yourself fighting then you are lost. If possible we should move and campaign together. The modus operandi is that first we should all campaign for the President before we do so for ourselves,” he said.

Cde Moyo urged party members to protect the interests of the party when they conduct primary elections at respective districts and wards this Sunday.

The Lupane office will be the command centre for the province while elections will be done at polling stations around the province.

The Matabeleland South PCC also met in Gwanda to set the pace for the primaries, with the provincial chairman, Cde Rabelani Choeni encouraging the candidates to uphold the party ethics and follow the election guidelines.

“We’re geared for the primary elections. We, however, have a few names that did not appear on the list that we received from the national commissariat in Harare. This will soon be rectified and everything will be in order.

“All the names that we submitted as a province were accepted by the national commissariat and the candidates are ready to campaign together as expected. I want to encourage our candidates to follow the guidelines and work together as a team,” said Cde Choeni.