Zvimba East is a constituency represented the National Assembly of the Parliament of Zimbabwe, located in Zvimba District in Mashonaland West Province. The seat is currently vacant following the November 2023 recall of Oliver Mutasa (Citizens Coalition for Change), the constituency's MP since the 2023 election. A by-election is scheduled to take place in February 2024.

Zvimba East
Constituency
for the National Assembly of Zimbabwe
ProvinceMashonaland West
RegionZvimba District
Current constituency
Created2008
Number of members1
Member(s)Vacant

History

edit

Zvimba East was created for the 2008 election, along with Zvimba West. Previously, Zvimba District was divided between only two constituencies, Zvimba North and Zvimba South. That year, Patrick Zhuwao of ZANU–PF was elected as the constituency's first MP.[1] In 2013, Zhuwao lost the ZANU–PF primary to Francis Mukwangwariwa, who went on to win the general election.[1] In the 2018 election, ZANU–PF's Tawanda Tungamirai was elected to represent the constituency.[2]

In the 2023 election, Oliver Mutasa of the newly-formed Citizens Coalition for Change won in Zvimba East by a margin of 189 votes against ex-Central Intelligence Organisation operative and former MP for the constituency, Francis Mukwangwariwa.[3] Mutasa was recalled from Parliament on 14 November 2023 by the CCC's purported interim secretary-general Sengezo Tshabangu, who wrote to Speaker Jacob Mudenda telling him that Mutasa was no longer a member of the party.[3][4][5][6]

By-elections are scheduled for 3 February 2024 in Zvimba East and five other constituencies.[4][5][6] On 16 December 2023, ZANU–PF announced that, following primary polls, the party will be represented by Kudakwashe Munhanzva in the upcoming by-election.[5][6] The CCC will have competing candidates in Zvimba East, with recalled MP Mutasa, representing the faction loyal to Nelson Chamisa, set to contest the election as an independent against Konjana Gift Machoka, the official CCC candidate representing the Sengezo Tshabangu camp of the party.[4][5]

Members

edit
Election Name Party
2008 Patrick Zhuwao ZANU–PF
2013 Francis Mukwangwariwa ZANU–PF
2018 Tawanda Tungamirai ZANU–PF
2023 Oliver Mutasa CCC
2024 by-election TBD

See also

edit

References

edit
  1. ^ a b "Five things you probably did not know about Patrick Zhuwao". Pindula News. 2017-05-23. Retrieved 2017-11-24.
  2. ^ "MPs and Senators declared elected after 30 July 2018_harmonised elections". veritaszim.net. Retrieved 19 April 2020.
  3. ^ a b Muonwa, James (2023-11-14). "I still wear a golden smile – CCC Zvimba East MP unmoved after Parliament recall". New Zimbabwe. Retrieved 2023-12-18.
  4. ^ a b c "ZEC accepts double CCC candidates for February 3 by-election". New Zimbabwe. 2023-12-18. Retrieved 2023-12-18.
  5. ^ a b c d Mupesa, Conrad (2023-12-19). "Recalled CCC legislators to run as independent candidates". The Herald. Retrieved 2023-12-18.
  6. ^ a b c Muonwa, James (2023-12-18). "Zanu PF picks by-election candidates ahead of Nomination Court sitting". New Zimbabwe. Retrieved 2023-12-18.