By Paul Nyathi| ZANU PF supporters backing under arrest Parliamentarian Dexter Nduna have demonstrated at the party’s offices in Chegutu demanding for Senate President Edna Madzongwe to leave the constituency.
Scores of party supporters besieged the party offices on Sunday denouncing Madzongwe for recommending that the constituency undergoes a rerun of the primary election which was held last week.
The party members protested for over three hours in the town claiming that they will not take part in the rerun of the election which was ordered by the party politburo.
Speaking to journalists on the sidelines of the demonstrations, the ZANU PF members blamed Madzongwe for attempting to disqualify Nduna for a candidate who she favoured.
“The demonstration is to send a message to the president to get Edna Madzongwe out of the constituency as she is causing serious confusion and clashes in the constituency,” said a member.
The members claim that the politburo erred in calling for the rerun of the primary election which was marred with violence that resulted in Nduna firing live ammunition in public leading to him being arrested.
The members claim that Nduna won the elections fairly in all the other fourteen wards of the constituency except for ward 15 where the violence took place after supporters backing some losing candidates disturbed the voting process.
“Nduna won the elections overwhelmingly and fairly in all the wards and had to use his authority to try and put order in ward 15 when Madzongwe led a group of people to disrupt the election process,” said one of the protesters.
Commenting on the matter, Madzongwe said that she had nothing against Nduna neither is she favouring a candidate over another.
“I have nothing against Nduna and I am not backing any candidate,” she said.
Senate President Madzongwe withdrew from the Chegutu Senate race, leaving Anna Guhwa and Lydia Tsomondo to fight it out.
Dexter Nduna appeared in court on Friday and was released on bail on two counts of public violence and for discharging a firearm in a public place.
Some ZANU PF supporters are already calling on the party to disqualify him from the primary elections on allegations that he is under arrest and going through the courts on a criminal case.
The matter is being considered by the party’s own electoral commission.