ZANU PF’s Civilised Bushe cruised to victory in the Epworth Ward 6 by-election held on Saturday, 02 August 2025, comfortably beating his opponents in what turned out to be a one-sided race.
Bushe secured 3,022 votes, far outpacing MDC-T’s Alice Nyahunzvi, who managed just 120 votes. Independent candidate Peter Nyapetwa barely registered with only 23 votes.
The results were confirmed by Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) presiding officer Chenjerai Chirere after vote counting concluded.
Interestingly, the main opposition Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC), now under Sengezo Tshabangu’s control, did not field a candidate, a surprising move given the opposition’s traditional strength in urban areas like Epworth.
Meanwhile, MDC-T leader Douglas Mwonzora, who boycotted the 2023 general elections, returned to the fray with a candidate who performed poorly.
His decision to contest drew criticism, with constitutional lawyer Advocate Thabani Mpofu calling it “a masterclass in how not to do politics.” Wrote Mpofu on X:
Weighed and found wanting—Douglas Mwonzora’s dismal performance in Epworth is a masterclass in how not to do politics, and thankfully, it’s a spectacle we need not endure again.
Setting aside the predictably skewed electoral landscape—replete with its usual cocktail of bribery and vote-buying—the outcome reveals far less about ZANU PF’s supposed strengths and far more about Mwonzora’s glaring weaknesses.
Here is a man who has largely been a political spectator, suddenly deciding to jump into the electoral fray as if name recognition alone could carry him. Spoiler alert: it didn’t. The electorate’s dismissal was emphatic and unambiguous.
Mkoma Douglas, you’ve always clamored to be “measured” in the political arena; well, congratulations—you’ve been measured, and the verdict is in: political nonentity.
Perhaps it’s time to swallow that bruised ego and come to terms with your many limitations—because, frankly, they’re not going anywhere.
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