By A Correspondent-ZANU PF has retained its grip on two parliamentary constituencies—Gutu East and Insiza North—following controversial by-elections held on June 14, with political observers noting that in Insiza North, the ruling party effectively contested against itself.
In Insiza North, Delani Moyo of ZANU PF was declared the duly elected Member of Parliament after garnering 1,131 votes, ahead of Thabani Mlotshwa of the ZAPU Party with 714 votes. However, what raised eyebrows was the presence of two other candidates: Mbongeni Moyo of the ZNR Party and Leslie Dube, an Independent, who polled 131 and 1,187 votes respectively.
Leslie Dube, a known ZANU PF affiliate, ran as an independent after being controversially barred from contesting under the party banner during internal selection processes. This effectively turned the race into an intra-party showdown, with ZANU PF splitting its vote between its official candidate and a disgruntled member, while opposition parties struggled to make an impact.
The official declaration form, signed by Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) constituency elections officer Dube Ivaini Zelemeyi, confirmed Delani Moyo as the winner. The document showed 84 rejected ballots and a voter turnout of 35.8%.
Meanwhile, in Gutu East, ZANU PF’s Zvarevashe Masvingise clinched a sweeping victory with 9,321 votes, far ahead of Independent candidate Gift Gonese, who received 2,269 votes. The NCA’s Zivanai Nzvenga came a distant third with 173 votes. The results were announced by ZEC constituency officer Ernest Mukwidzwa, who also reported 194 rejected ballots and a 48.3% turnout.
Both by-elections were triggered by recalls of sitting MPs—Benjamin Ganyiwa in Gutu East and an internal leadership dispute in Insiza North.
The developments point to growing internal rifts within ZANU PF, especially in rural constituencies where party loyalists are increasingly defying official endorsements by contesting as independents. In Insiza North, this split vote between two ZANU PF-aligned candidates nearly cost the ruling party the seat, with Leslie Dube actually polling more votes than the official opposition candidate.
Observers say the by-elections, far from demonstrating national democratic competition, expose a dangerous pattern of authoritarian consolidation, intra-party purges, and political exclusion even within ZANU PF’s own ranks.