ZANU-PF Breaks Opposition Grip on Mutare Ward 3 in By-Election
By Fanuel Chinowaita
MUTARE – ZANU-PF has captured Mutare Municipality’s Ward 3 seat, ending years of opposition dominance in the constituency after its candidate, Portia Gwinyai, won Saturday’s by-election with a decisive margin.
According to the official Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) Declaration of Result of Poll (Form V11), Gwinyai polled 760 votes, defeating independent candidate Innocent Mandava, who received 426 votes. Independent Farai Arutura garnered 95 votes, while Edward Mukambura of the MDC finished fourth with 76 votes.
The official declaration recorded 17 rejected ballot papers, while voter turnout stood at 26.5 percent.
Official Results
- Portia Gwinyai (ZANU-PF) – 760 votes
- Innocent Mandava (Independent) – 426 votes
- Farai Arutura (Independent) – 95 votes
- Edward Mukambura (MDC) – 76 votes
The result follows a by-election triggered by the death of Ward 3 councillor Tichaenzana Maita, popularly known as “Taso”, about three months ago. Maita had won the seat under the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC), a party that had traditionally enjoyed strong support in the ward.
However, the political landscape changed significantly following Maita’s death. The CCC did not field a candidate amid the party’s continued internal disintegration after its leader, Nelson Chamisa, announced a sabbatical from active politics.
Instead, two candidates aligned with Chamisa’s political camp contested as independents. Innocent Mandava and Farai Arutura both sought the seat separately after failing to agree on a single opposition candidate.
Even if the votes of the two independent candidates had been combined, they would have totalled 521 votes, still falling well short of Gwinyai’s 760 votes, indicating that ZANU-PF’s victory extended beyond a split opposition vote.
The outcome marks a significant political breakthrough for the ruling party in a ward that has historically voted for opposition candidates and may reshape the political dynamics in Mutare ahead of future elections.
The by-election was held after ZEC announced polling for Ward 3 following the successful nomination of four candidates at the nomination court.