BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI
Nomination courts will seat next week for candidates seeking to fill local government vacancies largely created by the mass recall of councillors by the Douglas Mwonzora-led MDC Alliance with Matabeleland North set to have the most number of by-elections.
In a notice, the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec) said the by-elections will be held in Matabeleland North and Midlands provinces on December 3.
Zec’s chief elections officer Utoile Silaigwana said six wards were vacant in Binga, four in Gweru and one in Victoria Falls.
Binga’s wards 23, 20, 15, 10, eight and six were left vacant early this month after MDC Alliance recalled the incumbents, whom it accused of working with the Nelson Chamisa-led Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC).
One councillor was removed in Victoria Falls and another four were expelled in Gweru under similar circumstances.
“In relation to the election of the councillors for the said wards, nomination courts shall sit on Thursday 3 November 2022 commencing from 10AM to 4PM at the offices of the chief executive officer for Binga Rural District Council, for the purposes of receiving nominations of candidates for election as councilors for the vacant wards 6, 8, 10, 15, 20 and 23 and the offices of the town clerk for Gweru Municipality, Gweru, for purposes of receiving nominations of candidates for election as councillors for the vacant wards 4, 5 and 18,”
“The offices of the town clerk for Victoria Falls Municipality, Victoria Falls, for purposes of receiving nominations for candidates for elections as councillor for the vacant ward 8 of Victoria Falls Municipality.”
Mwonzora’s MDC Alliance has not participated in by-elections since its candidates were walloped by CCC in elections held on March 26.
The by-elections will come hard on the hills of the violence marred council elections held in Matabeleland South’s Insiza and Matobo district where CCC campaign teams were viciously attacked by suspected Zanu PF supporters.