Reports indicate that the ruling ZANU PF party is set to retain the Lupane East National Assembly seat following a by-election held on Saturday.
With votes from 61 out 62 polling stations having been counted, unconfirmed reports suggest that ZANU PF has polled 6 038 while the opposition MDC has garnered 4 274 votes.
MDC treasurer, David Coltart has been pleasantly surprised by the number of people who have voted for the opposition. Writing on Twitter, Coltart said:
My take on Lupane East: enough victims of Gukurahundi were intimidated to vote for the architects and executors of Gukurahundi to deliver “victory” for the party which has destroyed their lives.
Quite frankly I am amazed at the number of brave people who voted for the MDC in a drought year knowing that that could condemn them and their children to starvation.
And to anticipate the trolls – if anyone seriously argues that this result is a reflection of the genuine sentiment of the people of Lupane East then they strangers to the truth and don’t understand the unique pressures facing rural voters.
One final point – the will of the people will never be respected until ZEC is independent. In this by-election, it just ignored the flagrant use of State recourses – medicines – to promote ZANU-PF. And that was just the tip of the iceberg.