ZANU PF Member of Parliament (MP) for Mutare West, Teedzai Percy Muchimwe, reportedly received only eight (8) votes in a contest against his former aide and driver, Nyasha Marange, who was also his campaign manager in the 2018 elections.
Although the party did not release the final results, officials said that Muchimwe did not perform well.
ZANU PF Manicaland chairperson Tawanda Mukodza stated that they were still verifying the primary election results. Muchimwe claimed that his poor showing was due to his last-minute withdrawal from the polls. He told NewsDay:
I withdrew from participating in the elections so that I could support Marange who used to work for me. I did a lot in the constituency. I tarred a road and built a dam because of the water challenges in the constituency.
A senior member of the Johanne Marange Apostolic Church in Marange, Muchimwe, has faced criticism from his constituency for not developing the area. Villagers blame him for failing to ensure that mining companies use local labour, which has resulted in high unemployment rates in the diamond-rich area. The constituency suffers from shortages of clinics, water, and poor road conditions.
During his time in Parliament, Muchimwe gained notoriety for claiming that his church could treat COVID-19 after he was denied entry for not having a valid vaccination certificate. The sect discourages its members from seeking medical treatment.
A ZANU PF supporter, who chose to remain anonymous, accused Muchimwe of neglecting his duties. The supporter stated that Muchimwe did not return to the electorate for consultations after his election, and they did not see any contributions from him in Parliament.
Several senior ZANU PF officials lost their positions in the recently held primary elections. Losing candidates include Charles Matsika (Churu), Emmanuel Mahachi (Mbare), Omega Sibanda (Vungu Constituency), Ziyambi Ziyambi (Zvimba West), and Justice Mayor Wadyajena (Gokwe Nembudziya).
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