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(HERALD) MDC-T losing candidates rejoin Zanu-PF

MDC-T losing candidates rejoin Zanu-PF
Bindura Bureau

TWO MDC-T official parliamentary candidates in the harmonised March 29 election in Mt Darwin have switched allegiance to Zanu-PF, saying they have realised that all that glitters is not gold. Cde Tonderai David Nhepera, MDC-T candidate for the Mt Darwin East House of Assembly constituency, and aspiring Senate candidate for Mt Darwin Cde Joshua Chiyangwa said they realised the opposition party had nothing to offer.

"I only joined the MDC-T two weeks before the nomination court after they had pledged to end my financial woes. But the finance they promised was nowhere to be seen apart from the $4 billion they gave me for campaigning purposes," Cde Nhepera, a former senior assistant commissioner in the Zimbabwe Republic Police, said.

Cde Nhepera said he had hoped that he would earn a living through supporting the MDC-T but only realised afterwards that the opposition party would not take him to the Promised Land.

"Rather I wasted more than $11 billion travelling to the opposition party’s offices and doing other logistics in preparation for the election but I never got my money back.

"Today I come back to the mother party Zanu-PF because I have realised it has everything to offer," he said.

Cde Nhepera said Zanu-PF was the party that liberated blacks from colonial rule and had spearheaded development in the country. This was a far cry from the MDC-T that failed to honour its promises of supporting him financially in just a single election.

"Zanu-PF is the party that took us away from minority rule. It is the party that brought vast development. We had very few secondary schools in Mt Darwin, but with the ruling Zanu-PF many other schools were constructed. So I have realised that it is the mother party and we cannot do away with it," he said.

Cde Nhepera, who retired from the police force in 1985 after serving for about 28 years, urged his followers to unite and vote for President Mugabe in the forthcoming presidential run-off, saying he had realised that MDC-T had nothing to offer.

Cde Nhepera got 2 568 votes, losing to Zanu-PF’s Cde Betty Chikava, while Cde Chiyangwa got 6 581 votes in his larger constituency but was beaten by Cde Alice Chimbudzi. Both beat off strong challenges from third party candidates to come second in their races.

Cde Chiyangwa said the MDC-T promised to give him money but he only received $4 billion, which came in instalments.

"I realised that Zanu-PF had been giving us a lot compared to the MDC-T which is good at making promises which it cannot fulfil," he said.

Cde Chiyangwa said if another party baits him with cash, he would not accept as he had learnt from his mistake.

He also urged those who voted for him in the last election to vote for Zanu-PF, saying it was the only party that could take them to the Promised Land.

"I have come here to surrender the MDC party cards and regalia. Nobody forced me. I just thought of this while I was at home that the ruling Zanu-PF party was the only party that could deliver tangible results," he said.

Labels: MDC, ZANU-PF

posted by MrK @ 8:50 PM