Paul Nyathi

A highly ambitious ZANU PF Councillor gave back the Gwanda Mayoral seat to the opposition MDC Alliance in a highly intriguing election held in the town on Monday afternoon.

With the council left with nine councillors after the recall of Mayor Jastone Mazhale, the MDC Alliance had five councillors and ZANU PF four.

The ruling party fielded councillor Albert Ndlovu only for him to get a shock of his life when Councillor Thulani Moyo nominated himself and was tactically seconded by eventual winning MDC Alliance candidate Njabulo Siziba.

The Thokozani Khupe led MDC-T failed to field a candidate after the MDC Alliance councillors all couldn’t submit their nomination on her side.

With three candidates in the contest, ZANU PF’s Albert Ndlovu polled 4 votes, Siziba polled 4 votes for the MDC Alliance while Moyo polled his sole vote.

A rerun was ordered which was eventually won by MDC Alliance with five votes against ZANU PF’s Four.

A close analysis of the election results tells that one MDC Alliance councillor sold out to ZANU PF in the first run while there is no certainity how the rerun voting pattern was.