Paul Nyathi

President Emmerson Mnangagwa said on Wednesday his ruling Zanu PF party is confident of winning the several upcoming Parliamentary and council by-elections in which arose through recalls by the MDC-T and deaths of incumbents.

Addressing the Zanu PF Politburo, President and First Secretary of the revolutionary party, President Emmerson Mnangagwa said the party was confident of winning all the by-elections.

“The DCC (District Coordinating Committee) elections and upcoming national by–elections must therefore consolidate our party’s indisputable dominance and peaceful democratic culture in the country,” he said.

President Mnangagwa warned against electoral malpractices such as imposition of candidates and vote buying.

“I therefore exhort the leadership and structures of the party to consolidate our internal democratic processes and culture. Undemocratic behaviour such as the imposition of candidates, vote buying and other electoral malpractices divide the party and must not be tolerated,” he said.

The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission on Tuesday lifted with immediate effect, the suspension of electoral activities after it adopted a Covid-19 policy on electoral activities which outlines how by-elections and other electoral activities will be conducted without exposing those involved to health risks.

The lifting also follows the further easing of Covid-19 restrictions by the government after observing the trends of the pandemic and to allow the economy to function.

ZEC suspended all electoral activities in June this year as part of measures to curb the spread of Covid-19.

The commission recently announced that there were 15 vacancies in Parliament that needed to be filled through by-elections following National Assembly recalls by the MDC-T.

While the proportional representation seats in the Assembly and the Senate vacancies are filled by direct nomination in a different process, the constituency seats and the vacancies in local authorities, with Harare City Council having the most, have to be filled by voters in by-elections

Some Parliamentarians and local councillors have also died and should be replaced through holding of by-elections.