Top officials such as Misheck Shoko (Chitungwiza South), Heneri Dzinotyiwei (Budiriro), Gift Dzirutwe (Glen Norah), Simon Ruuke Hove (Highfield West), Collen Gwiyo (Zengeza West) and Margaret Matiyenga (Sunningdale) have not been confirmed as candidates by their constituencies.
Others such as Willias Madzimure (Kambuzuma), Pearson Mungofa (Highfield East), Willias Madzimure (Kambuzuma), Marvellous Khumalo (St Marys) and Fidelis Mhashu (Chitungwiza North) are living on the edge as they failed at the confirmation hurdle.
The fate of others, including Greenbate Dongo (Goromonzi South), Edward Musumbi (Norton), Felix Magalela Sibanda (Magwegwe), Samuel Khumalo (Pelandaba-Mpopoma), will be decided at the primaries.
Analysts said the confirmation process, which is proceeding smoothly, gave MDC-T party structures the opportunity to choose candidates without undue influence.
“The GNU gave the electorate the opportunity to assess its MPs. Those who failed to perform as expected are falling by the wayside. This is a good example of internal democracy,” said analyst Pedzisayi Ruhanya.
People want service delivery and new blood in positions of authority. The people confirmed politicians like Eric Knight, who delivered at ZBC, hoping that they would translate their good performance as journalists into a political success story, he said.
Another respected analyst, Alexander Rusero, said MDC-T was fast becoming a pace-setter as far as democracy was concerned. “To uphold the legacy of that democratic process, big names which failed at the confirmations should not dispute the outcome, as people have expressed their will,” he said.
Politics is all about space and not creating cults where people run political parties like private companies.
Knight said his experience as a broadcaster taught him how to work with people and pledged to use that exposure to further the interests of his constituency, adding that his 11-year stay in the United Kingdom taught him skills on “how to run politics in a transparent and democratic manner”.
He said nothing would stop him from winning the Mbare seat, and his mission as MP would be to raise the living standards of people and create a peaceful environment accommodative of residents from across the political divide.
“I will create opportunities for intelligent and innovative residents who continued to live below their real capacity due to lack of opportunities. All time heroes and achievers will come out of Mbare,” said the prominent former journalist.
The spokesperson for the MDC led by Welshman Ncube, Kurauwone Chihwayi, said though his party was not interested in commenting on activities of other political parties, people should accept leadership change and renewal.
“Renewal of leadership is healthy for democracy and development. We however have nothing to learn from the so called MDC-T democratic primary election process since there were reports that the party leadership was shielding some sitting MPS from defeat,” said Chihwayi.
MDC-T Member of Parliament for Mufakose, Paurina Mpariwa, who was confirmed last Saturday, said she was happy that people in the constituency still had faith in her service delivery. She cited visible CDF projects provided in Mufakose as one of the reasons behind her confirmation success.
“My political and service delivery activities were people centred as I would interact with the grassroots at every turn,” said Mpariwa. She said the electorate was privy to her endeavours both in government and at the UN to champion interests of the elderly and people living with disabilities among others.
The MDC-T will announce dates for by-elections in constituencies where sitting MPs were not confirmed. Sitting MPS need to win two thirds support from eligible voters chosen from party structures within their constituencies to avoid primaries.
The party had stopped prospective legislative candidates from campaigning ahead of the confirmations, claiming that it would put pressure on seating MPs to defend their constituencies at the expense of service delivery.
Post published in: News