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Chronicle Reporters
RESULTS of Saturday’s National Assembly and Council by-elections had by yesterday started trickling in from different parts of the country while other constituencies were still collating the results and compiling them.

Some of the results received in the Matabeleland region and Midlands province so far are as follows: In Bulawayo, Citizens’ Coalition for Change (CCC) candidate Mr Kucala Phulu was re-elected MP for Nkulumane Constituency after he garnered 2 760 votes while closest rival Alderman David Ndlovu of Zanu-PF polled 1 900 votes.

MDC-Alliance’s Gideon Mangena got 150 votes while Mr Lovejoy Ncube of RPZ party got 45 votes. Mr Dumisani Tokwido for the DOP party got 18 votes.

Ms Sichelesile Mahlangu of CCC was declared winner for Pumula constituency while Cde Phumulani Nsingo (Zanu-PF) got 1 212 votes.

Mr Albert Mhlanga (MDC-A) got 110 votes and Mr Thabani Tshuma, an independent candidate polled 62 votes. Mr Ntandoyenkosi Ndlovu (UDA) got 33 votes, with Mr Stanford Nyoni (RPZ) getting 27 votes.

For the council by-election in Bulawayo, Ms Concilia Mlalazi of CCC won by 760 votes in Ward 18 after beating Zanu-PF’s Cde Enock Madzimure, who garnered 483 votes.

Mr Gibson Sikhosana of Zapu got 74 votes while MDC-Alliance’s Sibonakaliso Tshuma had 57 votes. Mr Taringana Mupfuyiwa of UDA got 11 votes.

In Ward 26 where CCC had fielded two candidates, one of them won. Mr Mpumelelo Moyo got 748 votes while his rival within the party Mr Norman Hlabani got 261 votes.

Zanu-PF candidate Cde Lungisani Sibanda garnered 418 votes and independent candidate Mr Jahana Ngwenya got 107 votes.
MDC-Alliance’s Ms Simangele Ndebele got 57 votes while Japhet Ncube of DOP got 15 votes.

In Matabeleland North, Zanu-PF retained the Tsholotsho South National Assembly seat when the ruling party candidate Cde Musa Ncube won by a wide margin after polling 4 759 against her closest rival Mr Tapson Sibanda of CCC who got 2 879 votes.

Zapu candidate Mr Leonard Mthombeni got 868 votes, while independent candidate Mr Bongani Moyo had 155 votes.

In Binga North, CCC’s Mr Dubeko Prince Sibanda polled 10 130 to win the seat while Zanu-PF candidate Cde Kudakwashe Munsaka got 7 971 votes.

Ms Peggy Mudimba of the MDC-Alliance got 356 votes, Mr Disciple Munkuli, an independent candidate got 220 votes. Mr Clive Muzamba of UDA got 136

In Ward 1 under Bubi Rural District Council, Zanu-PF candidate Cde Nomsa Gumpo won by 566 votes, beating CCC’s Mr Coster Sibanda who got 24 votes.

In Ward 6 of Bubi RDC, Zanu-PF candidate Cde Bongani Ndlovu won by 27 votes while CCC’s Mr Benji Mpofu got nine votes.
In Victoria Falls, Zanu-PF won the two wards that were being contested.

Cde Tonderai Mutasa got 107 votes to beat CCC’s Mr Christopher Ndiweni, who had 101 votes in a tightly contested election in Ward 1.

In Ward 6, Cde Bekithemba Mlotshwa of Zanu-PF got 336 votes to beat Mr Derrick Munsaka of CCC, who got 179 votes. Mr Brian Ndlovu of MDC Alliance got 12 votes. The ward had 1 210 registered voters and only 514 voted.

There are 11 wards under the City of Victoria Falls and Zanu-PF now has two councillors as the rest are MDC-Alliance councillors.

There were wild celebrations by Zanu-PF supporters in Ward 6 after Zec officials pasted results on the wall at the polling stations. Cde Mutasa thanked voters for trusting him and promised to deliver.

“I would like to thank voters for voting peacefully. Now that elections are over, we are going back to the drawing board as I want to focus on service delivery and fulfil what I promised in my manifesto.

Chief among my priority areas will be provision of water so that we make sure everyone is happy,” said Cde Mutasa, who recently graduated with a law degree. Cde Mlotshwa, who is an accountant by profession, said it’s time to help the local authority in service delivery.

“I am not going there to add numbers but to add value as a professional accountant,” he said. Matabeleland North provincial elections officer Mr Richard Sibanda said besides rains that disturbed travelling in some parts of Binga and Tsholotsho, the voting process was generally peaceful.

“Besides rains that disturbed travelling where some vehicles could not travel in Binga and Tsholotsho, elections went well and we finished the process well. All processes have been concluded and results sent to head office,” he said.

In Matabeleland South, former Beitbridge mayor, Morgan Ncube (CCC) was re-elected in Ward 4 after beating Zanu PF’s Cde Lawrence Tshili. He said the elections were free and fair and lauded Zec for professionalism.

Mr Ncube along with former finance committee chairperson Mr Granger Nyoni were re-elected after having been recalled by the Mr Douglas Mwonzora led MDC-T.

In Ward 5, Mr Nyoni was declared the winner after beating Cde Showa Moyo of Zanu-PF. The CCC’s provincial chairman Solani Moyo said the election went on well although fewer people turned up.

There were six by-elections for local authorities in Matabeleland South under Gwanda, Beitbridge, Insiza, and Umzingwane districts.

The CCC won three wards in Gwanda and Beitbridge respectively while Zanu PF retained three wards in Umzingwane and Insiza respectively.

In the Midlands province the by-elections were for 11 councillors and five National Assembly members. The five National Assembly seats that were being contested are Gokwe Central, Kwekwe Central, Kwekwe-Mbizo, Mberengwa South and Mkoba.

The Gokwe Central constituency fell vacant following the reassignment of Cde Victor Matemadanda who was appointed the country’s Ambassador to Mozambique.

Mkoba constituency by-election was won by Mr Amos Chibaya of CCC, who garnered 6 809 votes ahead of Cde William Gondo of Zanu-PF who got 2 613.

Mr Albert Chadoka of MDC-Alliance got 230 votes while Mr Malvern Zihapa of the Federation of African States got 21.

Mberengwa South constituency was won by Cde Tasara Hungwe of Zanu-PF who got 7 935 votes ahead of Davies Shoko CCC, who managed 1 428 votes.

Kwekwe Central constituency was won by Ms Judith Tobaiwa CCC, who got 6 639 votes and Cde John Mapurazi of Zanu-PF got 2 883 votes. Mr Lenin Tafadzwa Dzingire of the United Zimbabwe Alliance got 165 votes and Mr Mbekezeli Ndlovu of MDC- Alliance got 145 votes.

Mbizo constituency was won by Mr Settlement Chikwinya of CCC who got 7 146 votes ahead of Cde Vongaishe Mupereri of Zanu-PF who polled 3 232 votes.

Mr Brave Mapfumo of MDC-Alliance got 185 votes, Ms Gladys Mutunami of United Zimbabwe Alliance got 103 and Mr Lovemore Chibukwe of United Democratic Alliance got 890 votes.

Results for Gokwe Central constituency, which had Cde Daveson Masvisvi of Zanu-PF, Mr Lisias Metegwe (CCC) and Mr Edward Vakai MDC- Alliance had not been announced.

In some of the local authorities’ elections, Mberengwa Ward 25 was won by Cde Pedzisai Zhou of Zanu-PF who garnered 735 votes against Mr Taimbanayo Zhou of CCC who got 44 votes

In Chirumhanzu Rural District Council Ward 1, Cde Juliet Masandu of Zanu-PF was the duly elected councillor for the ward after she got 691 votes ahead of Mr Felix Musewu of CCC who managed 239 votes.

Chirumanzu Ward 3 went to Cde Cyprian Chiuta of Zanu-PF who had 634 votes ahead of Mr Martin Muzanago of CCC who got 360 votes.

Zec spokesperson Commissioner Jasper Mangwana said the elections went on smoothly “The elections went very well and everything was coordinated.

We only had issues when it rained in parts of Matabeleland South, Matabeleland North and the Midlands provinces. In terms of logistics we had challenges as our officials struggled to move the electoral material to the ward collation centres and other constituency collation centres. However, we are happy that most of the results are out,” he said.

Mr Mangwana said Zimbabwe has one of the most transparent electoral processes and he had an opportunity to visit some of the polling stations and where V11 forms showing results were pasted on the walls.

He said Zec is an independent body empowered and created by the Zimbabwe Electoral Act, which acts within the confines of the constitution.