BULAWAYO – Zanu PF has ordered a rerun of the Insiza North primary election won by Moses Langa over reported irregularities.
Langa beat Delani Moyo and Qhubani Moyo into second and third place respectively in the May 3 vote, but his rivals immediately cried foul alleging ballot stuffing and delays in the delivery of election material to some wards.
A new vote has been called for Tuesday, May 13.
The Insiza North primary election to replace the late MP Farai Taruvinga was discussed during a Zanu PF politburo meeting on May 7, and the party’s political commissar Munyaradzi Machacha was instructed to go to the constituency and obtain more information.
Machacha met the candidates and district officials on Sunday, and offered his opinion that Langa should be allowed to represent the party due to the limited time remaining before the sitting of the nomination court on May 15.
Machacha briefed senior party leaders overnight Sunday but was overruled, ZimLive heard.
“A decision was taken at the level of the presidency that the election should be rerun due to the irregularities cited. The party leaders decided that failing to conduct a new election would be bad for party unity in the constituency concerned,” a source briefed on the discussions said.
In the May 3 vote, Langa – the son of former sports minister Andrew Langa – was declared winner with 2,478 votes. Delani Moyo, a miner, had 1,564 votes and Qhubani Moyo, a former commissioner with the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission 983 votes in a field of seven candidates.
The Insiza North by-election is scheduled for June 24, the same day as another by-election in Gutu East triggered by the expulsion of the sitting MP Benjamin Ganyiwa by Zanu PF.
Zanu PF is expected to easily retain the two constituencies owing to a fractured opposition.
