#ElectionsZW: People wanted me in 2018 but I was blocked says Mhetu

#ElectionsZW: People wanted me in 2018 but I was blocked says Mhetu

MDC Alliance candidate Zivai Togarepi Mhetu has revealed that people in Epworth Constituency wanted him to stand for the position of the legislator but was blocked due to internal squabbles in the party.

Mhetu said although he is contesting in the by-elections on the 26^th of March, his goal was to contest in 2023 for a full term.

The by-elections are seeking to fill vacant seats in the National Assembly for the remaining 17 months before the 2023 general elections.

In an interview, Mhetu said he is under pressure from the electorate to stand for them.

He says he wants to bring the missing development to Epworth.

‘’I was disadvantaged in 2018. Everyone in Epworth was shouting Mhetu, Mhetu they wanted me to be their MP but due to internal squabbles, I was disadvantaged.

‘’This is the main reason why I took heed of the same people who were disadvantaged in 2018 to contest in this by-election.

‘’Personally, I would have loved to contest in 2023 for a full term but my supporters had to give a lot of pressure that I should participate in these by-elections,’’ he said.

I know problems faced in Epworth

The aspiring candidate revealed that he has no problems representing Epworth because that is where he stays. He said he is aware of the problems that are faced in the constituency.

‘’This takes me to the other reasons why I chose to stand in Epworth. First, that is where I stay. Secondly, the state of my constituency is peri-urban and there is a lot of people who need help because Epworth is underdeveloped compared to many other constituencies in Harare.

‘’With me as MP for Epworth, it gives me an opportunity to unlock the capacity that I have to improve the livelihoods of people. So, given an opportunity as MP for this constituency, I would have been elevated to a place where I can help them better,’’ he said.

Mhetu added that in as much as he has been trying to help the constituency to develop, his efforts are always blocked because he has no legal mandate to represent the area.

He said he has been to many offices, but they have refused to entertain him because of a lack of mandate.

‘’I have been knocking at various offices seeking assistance but many of the responses I have been getting are that do you have the mandate to represent the people of Epworth? Some of those things are supposed to be done by the people who are mandated at law to represent those people,’’ he said.

Kureva didn’t do anything in Epworth

Asked on whether the constituency suffered due to the recall of the legislator, Mhetu said there was no difference.

‘’Epworth when it was represented and when it not represented is just the same. There was no notable development during the time the MP has been there. I cannot speak much since he is not with us.

‘’It would have been better if he was with us so that he could get time to respond. So, in that regard, I would not want to dwell much on what he did during his term of office, but in summation, I would want to say during the time when he was MP, and during the time when the constituency was orphaned after the recall there is no difference.

‘’The problems which we suffered for the past 10 years are just the same. The development that I last saw in Epworth was when Elia Jembere was MP, he tried his level best, but in the past 10 years Epworth has been stagnant,’’ he said.

#ElectionsZW: People wanted me in 2018 but I was blocked says Mhetu