By Chantelle Muzanenhamo
Gutu, Masvingo-Zanu PF candidate Zvarevashe Masvingise has claimed victory in the Gutu East constituency, winning with 79.2% of the votes. Masvingise, a former Local Authority Councillor for Ward 14, received 9,321 votes in a contest that saw a relatively low voter turnout.
His main opponent, Independent candidate Gift Gonese, obtained 2,269 votes (19.3%), while Zivanai Nzvede of the NCA received 173 votes (1.5%). Out of 11,957 votes cast, 194 were rejected, resulting in 11,764 valid votes.
Results showed Masvingise’s dominance across all 56 polling stations in the 10 wards, with his strongest performance in Ward 14, where he gained 1,333 votes. Gonese’s best results came from Ward 39, which includes Basera Growth Point and Mugodhi, as well as Ward 15 in Chin’ai and Muchekayaora, traditional opposition strongholds.
The final tally was announced early Sunday morning at 4 a.m. by Constituency Elections Officer Ernst Mukwidza at the Alheit High School-based Elections Centre.
Voting took place from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., with counting starting at 8 p.m. Results from individual stations were relayed to ward centers for collation before being consolidated at the constituency level.
Despite Masvingise’s clear victory, residents voiced concerns about the surprisingly low voter turnout, suggesting voter apathy and logistical challenges may have played a role. Speaking anonymously, some residents highlighted that the total votes cast were far below the number of registered voters, raising questions about engagement and participation.
The Gutu East constituency has also been grappling with internal strife within the ruling party, fueled by disputes stemming from last year’s primary elections and the recent recall of the incumbent legislator, Benjamin Ganyiwa.
However, it must be noted that traditionally, by elections in Zimbabwe have rarely attracted large numbers, they are often characterized by low voter turnout.