Candidates
Roy Bennett's wife Heather Bennett intended to stand for Chimanimani rural district after the nomination court refused papers filed on behalf of her jailed husband.
However, on March 15 Zimbabwe's new Electoral Court ruled he could contest parliamentary elections. Nomination would be accepted on April 4, while polling would take place on April 30. An appeal by the government reversed this. The appeal was not contested by the MDC or the Bennetts. They considered that voters would be safer polling on the same day as the rest of the country, where a delay would allow Zanu-PF to concentrate efforts in that district. The MDC has never won a by-election.
Roy Bennett's application for release before the elections, on the basis of good behaviour and dissolution of the parliament that ordered the incarceration, failed.
Sikhumbuzo Ndiweni, a former ZANU PF Bulawayo Provincial Information and Publicity Secretary, is co-ordinating the Independent Candidates Solidarity Network. Members are:
- Margaret Dongo (Harare Central)
- Former Information Minister Jonathan Moyo (Tsholotsho)
- The former information minister registered to run as an independent in the constituency after he was excluded from running as the ZANU-PF candidate. The party had decided that a woman should contest the Tsholotsho constituency instead of him, a decision that was linked to Moyo's opposition to Joyce Mujuru. He will be facing Musa Ncube-Mathema, the wife of Bulawayo governor Cain Mathema, standing for Zanu-PF.
- In the 2000 election, Mtoliki Sibanda of the MDC won with 69% of the vote over Mathema of Zanu-PF. Sibanda will be defending his seat again in 2005.
- Dunmore Makuwaza (Mbare)
- Tendekai Mswata (St Mary's)
- Fanuel Chiremba (Tafara-Mabvuku)
- Peter Nyoni (Hwange East)
- Charles Mpofu (Bulawayo South)
- Leonard Nkala (Phelandaba/Mpopoma)
- Stars Mathe (Pumula/Luveve)
Lloyd Siyoka (Beitbridge)withdrew in favour of Kembo Mohadi of Zanu-PF- Godwin Shiri (Mberengwa East)
Read more about this topic: Zimbabwean Parliamentary Election, 2005
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