The ManicaPost
Ray Bande Senior Reporter
THE peaceful environment that prevailed during and after Saturday’s Nyanga Rural District Council Ward 26 by-election where ruling Zanu PF romped to victory over the MDC alliance has been praised as an indication of political maturity.
Zanu PF’s Cde Bisset Mapeta wrestled the seat that has been in the opposition MDC Alliance armpit since 2005.
He beat MDC-A candidate Mr Vincent Bopoto by 397 to 236 votes in a ward with 1260 registered voters.
The Zimbabwe Electoral Support Network commended the political environment ahead of the recent elections.
“The political environment ahead of, and during the by-elections was largely peaceful in both wards with no incidents of peace disturbing electoral malpractices reported.
“Voting proceeded smoothly at all polling stations with procedures such as showing ballot boxes to be empty, checking voters’ names against the voters’ roll, checking voters’ fingers for indelible ink and applying the ink being duly followed. Observers also reported that all voters were required to present identification documents before voting with those presenting defaced or invalid identification being turned away,’’ reads part of the ZESN report.
Political parties and candidates contesting in an election can deploy up to three polling agents on election day, one inside the polling station and two outside the polling station. ZANU-PF and the MDC-A deployed party agents at all polling stations where ZESN had observers.
ZESN however, lamented the low voter turnout.
“Turnout was lower at 51 percent in the Nyanga RDC Ward 26 by-election which was also lower than the 83,81 percentage poll for the same Ward in the harmonised elections.
“Political parties and Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) need to comprehensively educate voters about the importance of elections and mobilise them to participate in by-elections, especially local authority by-elections which continue to consistently record low turnout figures,” said the report.
Nyanga Rural District Council Ward 26 by-election winner Cde Mapeta (Zanu PF) spelt out his vision that is premised on the desire to fulfill his election campaign promises to the electorate.
He attributed the poor voter turnout to rampant retrenchment of workers by timber companies which forced those affected out of the area in search of livelihoods.
Nyanga RDC Ward 26 fell vacant after the death of Clr Elias Mashumba (MDC-A) at Bonda Mission in April, after a short illness.
The area is predominantly a forestry area which covers Erin, Selborne and Mutarazi.
Cde Mapeta’s immediate goal is the establishment a secondary school in the ward.
“We made it clear during the campaign that we want to develop this area. We promised people to establish a secondary school, and we have already started the process.
“We have school children traveling long distance to the nearest secondary school, and that has to stop. The problem is that we have been electing people that do not have a sense of belonging to this area. They come here for work and at a point leave this without any meaningful development,” he said.
Cde Mapeta also intends to facilitate key rural infrastructure development and undo the timber plantation colonial set-up still existing in the area.
“We lack key rural infrastructure in this ward; we do not have basic things like shops because of the colonially-inherited set up that restricts the plantation workers to tuck-shops owned by the timber processing companies.
“We want to do away with this and create space for those who want to set up businesses. We also need a clinic in this ward. This is the only ward in the district without a clinic. If you do not work for the timber company, you cannot be treated here. You have to go to Nyanga or Bonda hospitals.
“In the long term we also want to lure meaningful investment around Mtarazi Skywalk and Skyline as well as hydro power projects,” he said.
