The ruling party ZANU-PF has set 18 March 2023, as the date for its primary elections, to select its candidates for the upcoming harmonised elections.
In selecting candidates who will run for the primary elections, the party set several rules and regulations to be met by the aspirants.
Stated below are some of the rules and regulations that had to be met by the candidates:
Qualifications for senatorial elections:
Applicant must be a registered voter
Forty (40) years of age and above
Must be or have been a member of the Central Committee or National Consultative
Assembly for at least five (5) years
Is a fully paid-up member of the party
Is a person of good character and standing
Is a person who is loyal to the Party
Qualifications for local authority elections
Applicant must be a registered voter in that Ward
Twenty-one (21) years of age and above
Must have been a member of the Party District
Is a fully paid member of the Party
Has adequate political, economic, cultural and social knowledge of Zimbabwean affairs to enable him/her to contribute meaningfully to debates
Is a person of good character and standing
Is a person who is loyal to the Party
Qualifications for national assembly elections
Applicant must be a registered voter in that Constituency
Twenty-one (21) years of age and above
Must preferably have been a member of the province or have served a minimum of five years at the district level.
Is a fully paid-up member of the Party
Has adequate political, economic, cultural and social knowledge of Zimbabwean affairs to enable him/her to contribute meaningfully to debates
Is a person of good character and standing
Is a person who is loyal to the Party
Qualifications for women’s quota elections
Applicant must be a registered voter in the Administrative District
Twenty-one (21) years of age and above
Shall have served at least as a district member for a minimum period of five (5) years
Is fully paid-up member of the Party
Has adequate political, economic, cultural and social knowledge of Zimbabwean affairs to enable him/her to contribute meaningfully to debate
Is a person of good character and standing; and
Is a person who is loyal to the Party
Qualifications for youth quota elections
Applicant must be a registered voter within the province
Between Eighteen (18) and thirty-five (35) years of age
Shall have served at least as a district member for a minimum period of five (5) years
Is fully paid-up member of the Party
Has adequate political, economic, cultural and social knowledge of Zimbabwean
affairs to enable him/her to contribute meaningfully to debate
Is a person of good character and standing
What may lead to a candidate being disqualified
Any member of the Party shall be disqualified to represent the Party as a candidate in any Local Authority, National Assembly and Senatorial Election if he/she has:
in the past five (5) years, been convicted of any crime and sentenced to a term of imprisonment for a period of more than twelve (12) months and has not received the presidential pardon in respect of such conviction
Has, in the past five (5) years, been the subject of disciplinary action by the Party and has been found guilty of misconduct in terms of Article 10, Sections 74 and 75
Has, in the past five (5) years, been convicted of any offence under the electoral law
Has been declared by the court to be incapable of managing his/her own affairs or his/her estate has been sequestrated as insolvent and shall remain so disqualified until his/her estate is rehabilitated in terms of the insolvency law
in the past 5 years, been found guilty by the relevant disciplinary organs of the party of practicing tribalism, regionalism, nepotism, indiscipline and insubordination
Candidates who have unsuccessfully participated in two (2) or more previous harmonised elections must pave way for other aspiring candidates in that Constituency, however, they may participate in other Constituencies
To determine the disqualification of a Member of the Party intending to stand in Primary Elections to represent the Party as a candidate in any Local Authority and Parliamentary Elections, the member concerned shall be subject to a vetting process.
Attached below are candidates who met the criteria and will be running for the primary elections in Matabeleland North province:
