No egg, bacon, and milk promises, as Munyanduri opts for Parliament #ElectionsZW
New Innovative and Modernisation Front Party (NIMFP) leader Tendai Peter Munyanduri will not be contesting for President in the 2023 general elections due to exorbitant nomination fees charged by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC), as well as pressure from his studies.
ZEC, which is charged with running elections in Zimbabwe was asking for about US$20 000 in nomination fees for Presidential hopefuls, and US$1 000 for those aspiring for National Assembly seats.
However, Munyanduri who is famous for promising to provide a balanced diet to every Zimbabwean consisting of egg, bacon, and milk in the 2018 general elections will be contesting for the Chinhoyi Constituency Parliamentary seat under Democratic Opposition Party (DOP) which is fronted by Wilson Harry Peter.
He accused Zanu PF, Citizens Coalition for Change, and MDC Alliance of conniving to charge exorbitant nomination fees because they feared he was going to win.
”This year 2023 we have decided as a political party and me not to contest as Presidential candidate, there are two reasons why we are not participating. First, I am currently doing a PhD in Electrical and Electronic Engineering with the University of Zimbabwe (UZ) and I am also doing a PhD in Fuels and Energy with the Chinhoyi University of Technology (CUT).
”Both my supervisors at UZ and CUT advised me not to contest for President as it would require a lot of my time to put up posters and address rallies, in Lupani, Gwanda, Masvingo, and Mutare all over. And they said if you try to chase two birds with one stone you will miss both. So they advised me not to participate at the Presidential level, that is the first reason.
”Then the other thing is that Zanu PF, CCC, and MDC-Alliance knew very well that if Munyanduri stood, I was going to beat them decisively and excel over their candidates. Therefore they tried to raise the nomination fees to prohibitive levels, which is why I decided not to participate in this particular election.
”However, we have joined hands with Engineer Harry Peter Wilson who is a Presidential candidate and I am standing on his party ticket as an MP for Chinhoyi Constituency. We are saying to our support don’t despair because Munyanduri is going to be the Presidential candidate in 2028, even if the nomination fee is US$100 000 because we are going to prepare for that.
”We never thought they were serious about the US$20 000 Presidential nomination fees, and we have 5 years to prepare,” he said.
Munyanduri added that those not comfortable with sciences should vote for Gwinyai Muzorewa.
”We are advising our supporters to vote for engineer Harry Peter Wilson who is a presidential candidate in 2023, For those not comfortable with people from the sciences we are urging them to vote for DR Gwinyai Muzorewa, a young brother of Bishop Abel Muzorewawho is also a Presidential candidate this election, so that is our position,” he said. #ElectionsZW
