Gutu West goes to Zanu PF

Gutu West has gone to Zanu PF after it resoundingly clenched the National Assembly seat in the by- election at the weekend.

The Constituency which has been held by the ruling party since 2000 when the Land Reform Programme came into being, is made up of eight resettlement and two communal Wards under Chief Serima. It has also remained Gutu District Zanu PF membership flagship as it over the years, remained top of the other Constituencies in votes cast in the Harmonised Local Authority, National Assembly and Presidential elections.

With a total of 25 646 registered voters in 10 Wards and 53 polling stations by the time of this year’s Harmonised Elections on August 23, Gutu West managed to score the highest votes for the Party under the Presidential race with 13 738 votes , Gutu Central second with 11 281 votes, Gutu East on third position with 10 282 votes and fourth Gutu South with 9 643. Under Local Authority the Constituency was on top position with 13 424 votes followed by Gutu Central with 12 426 votes then Gutu East with 11 725 votes and Gutu South 10 408 votes.

Gutu West did not have a National Assembly election in the Harmonised Elections due to the death of one Independent candidate Christopher Mutonho Rwodzi before the elections. Zanu PF candidate John Paradza who had been in the seat in the past Parliament, reclaimed the seat with 12 147 votes beating the second contender , Martin Sebastine Mudzingwa an Independent candidate by 10 372 votes .
Mudzingwa had 1 775 votes followed by Ephraem Murudu of CCC with 1 258 votes and NCA’s Robson Kurwa sitting fourth with 135 votes.

Under the National Assembly Elections in the district, Gutu West came second to Gutu Central’s Winston Chitando. Ganyiwa of Gutu East was third with 10 282 votes and Pupurai Togarepi of Gutu South fourth with 9 960 votes.

Despite defections from the party to form Independents cahoots that marked the Harmonised Elections in Gutu West which also had four Independents for the Local Authority seats together with Opposition CCC penetration that was marked in all Constituencies, Gutu West managed to maintain a Zanu PF majority due to ” need to defend the Land Reform Programme to which the majority are beneficiaries in this Constituency.

John Paradza who got into the Gutu West Seat at a tender age of 26, has over the five years rose through the party ranks to become the Deputy Secretary for Youth and Politburo member in the Party alongside other youthful party members as the party adopts an all inclusive policy for Youths and Women in top positions.

The GutuWest National Assembly seat brings to 137 the Zanu PF National Assembly seats countrywide. The Masvingo Zanu PF Provincial Chairman, Cde Rabson Mavhenyengwa addressing a recent Gutu Interdistrict meeting , said the Gutu West party victory will take the Province to the top National position with 24 Constituencies out of the 26 in the province with Midlands to second position with 23 Constituencies .

The Party also holds 210 local authority seats out of the 242 in the province.