BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI
The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) has confirmed that by-elections will be held in Victoria Falls’ Wards 9, 10 and 11 following the recall of three councillors, signalling that the electoral process is now underway despite disputes surrounding the removals.
In responses to questions from VicFallsLive, ZEC Chief Elections Officer Simbarashe Tongayi said the commission has provisionally set August 1, 2026, as the date for the by-elections.
The vacancies arose after councillors Mthunzi Mpofu (Ward 9), Nkanyiso Sibindi (Ward 10) and Daniel Moyo (Ward 11) were removed from office following a recall communicated to the City of Victoria Falls by the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works.
According to Tongayi, a notice announcing the by-elections was published in the press on June 17 and preparations are already underway ahead of nomination day.
“The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission has provisionally set the 1st of August 2026 as the date for the conduct of Wards 9, 10 and 11 of Victoria Falls Municipality by-elections for the vacancies,” Tongayi said.
He said aspiring candidates must appear before the Nomination Court on July 1 at the Town Clerk’s Office in Victoria Falls between 10am and 4pm.
Tongayi added that voter education campaigns have already commenced in the affected wards to raise awareness about the vacancies and the nomination process.
“The voter education exercise currently ongoing in Wards 9, 10 and 11 is meant to raise awareness on the existence of the vacancies and requirements for one to stand as a candidate,” he said.
The confirmation by ZEC effectively moves the process into the electoral phase, even as controversy surrounding the recalls continues.
The recalls triggered dramatic scenes during a recent full council meeting after the letters announcing the removal of the councillors were read before councillors and officials.
At the meeting, the affected councillors disputed the recalls and argued they had not been formally notified of the decision. Questions were also raised over the circumstances surrounding the removals.
Adding another layer to the dispute, CCC faction leader and self-styled interim secretary-general Sengezo Tshabangu later published a statement on social media identifying the three councillors as having been recalled for allegedly failing to adhere to party principles and guidelines.
However, the statement did not specify the exact offences allegedly committed by the councillors.
Efforts by VicFallsLive to obtain comment from some of the affected councillors, including Daniel Moyo, were unsuccessful.