ZANU PF central committee member Esau Mupfumi is in a storm for reportedly bussing voters from rural communities for a voter registration exercise in Mutare Central constituency ahead of the 2023 elections slated for July or August.
The former Dangamvura/Chikanga Member of Parliament is now eyeing another urban constituency where he is likely to face former mayor Brian James of the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) as his main rival.
James has been nominated by the party to replace veteran CCC legislator Innocent Gonese who has stepped down from contesting in this year’s polls despite being nominated.
CCC Manicaland spokesperson David Panganai accused Mupfumi of trying to rig the elections.
“We are informed that some Zanu PF candidates and, in particular, those who have no confidence in their support of urban constituencies are ferrying (potential) voters from nearby constituencies to boost their waning numbers,” Panganai told NewsDay yesterday.
“This is something that should be dealt with. What happens to the constituency from which the people are drawn from? Are those people not already registered in those constituencies where they are domiciled?”
He added: “We know that the aspirant, comrade Esau Mupfumi, is trying to use dirty tricks to win the Mutare Central constituency.”
In response, Mupfumi said the CCC was panicking after he took advantage of Zimbabwe Election Commission voters registration blitz to register more potential voters.
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“In Sakubva, a very big number of people are not registered, so we are taking the mop-up registration exercise very seriously by encouraging them to register and l don’t know anything about me bussing people to register; these are all lies,” he said. We are encouraging the youths to vote in their numbers. l have been in the constituency (Mutare Central) on a daily basis encouraging people to register to vote in their numbers.”
Mupfumi said he was targeting to reduce drug abuse in the constituency. Mutare Central constituency encompasses Sakubva high-density suburb, which has of late been cited as a haven for drug dealers and abusers.
