Organised
by
the
Centre
for
Innovation
and
Technology
(CITE)
in
collaboration
with
the
Bulawayo
Progressive
Residents
Association
(BPRA),
Election
Resource
Centre
(ERC)
and
the
Nkulumane
Constituency
Development
Committee,
the
Meet
Your
Candidates’
debate
held
Wednesday
at
Nkulumane
Hall
drew
a
packed
crowd.
However,
the
environment
was
far
from
neutral,
as
attendees
noted
that
Zanu
PF
had
bussed
in
supporters
who
cheered
loudly
whenever
their
candidate
spoke
and
loudly
registered
disapproval
when
rivals
attempted
to
make
their
points,
frequently
drowning
them
out.
One
of
the
questions
that
laid
bare
the
candidates’
political
depth
including
that
of
their
supporters
was
deceptively
simple
–
‘Do
you
know
and
understand
the
role
of
a
Member
of
Parliament?’
ZAPU
candidate,
Vivian
Viyo
Siziba,
delivered
one
of
the
most
pointed
and
constitutionally
grounded
responses
as
he
underscored
that
an
MP’s
role
is
fundamentally
different
from
that
of
a
councillor.
“The
role
of
an
MP
is
supposed
to
hold
the
executive
accountable,
prevent
the
executive
from
doing
misdeeds
and
hold
the
government
departments
to
account,
including
the
police,”
he
said.
“For
instance
all
the
bad
deeds
that
some
police
officers
are
doing
on
the
roads
should
be
taken
to
Parliament
and
ask
the
relevant
ministry.”
Siziba
explained
that
oversight
and
scrutiny
are
the
core
of
parliamentary
duty
and
then
invoked
a
dramatic
example
that
instantly
ignited
tensions
in
the
hall.
“For
example,
this
past
Sunday
we
saw
a
helicopter
campaigning
for
one
candidate,
flying
into
a
public
area.
An
MP
has
to
ask
the
Ministry
of
Defence
to
explain
on
what
grounds
that
helicopter
was
doing
at
a
school
grounds,”
he
said,
prompting
loud
heckling
and
protests
from
Zanu
PF
supporters.
Their
reaction,
Siziba
noted,
was
precisely
why
constitutional
literacy
was
urgently
needed.
“Their
reaction
is
why
the
constitution
must
be
taught
so
that
people
understand
what
freedom
of
speech
is
to
allow
people
to
express
their
views.
We
must
make
sure
we
follow
the
constitution,”
he
said.
Siziba
continued,
criticising
the
extension
of
Bulawayo’s
town
clerk
as
another
example
requiring
oversight.
“When
it
comes
to
scrutiny
or
oversight
it
is
finding
out
why
there
are
no
pills
in
the
hospitals,
why
roads
are
not
fixed.
We
must
make
sure
the
minister
fixes
that,
not
keep
quiet
about
it.
It
is
surprising
that
even
MPs
in
Parliament
suffer
on
the
roads
when
travelling
to
their
rural
homes.”
Siziba
pushed
for
constitutional
education
in
schools
as
civics,
warning
that
without
this
grounding,
Zimbabwe
risked
producing
legislators
who
are
“dismissed
as
cartoons.”
Zanu
PF
candidate,
Freedom
Murechu,
in
contrast,
took
a
more
conventional,
but
noticeably
less
critical
stance.
He
defined
representation
as
being
“the
mouth
of
the
constituency,”
saying
an
MP
takes
people’s
views
to
Parliament,
participates
in
law-making
and
provides
oversight
“on
the
government
and
even
the
local
government,
the
city
council.”
Murechu’s
priorities
centred
on
addressing
drug
abuse,
supporting
youth
and
women
entrepreneurs,
including
pushing
for
smart
metering
in
water
billing
by
the
local
city
council.
He
pledged
to
advocate
for
more
government
funding
to
support
18
solarised
boreholes
in
Nkulumane
and
to
strengthen
welfare
support
for
the
elderly.
His
attempt
to
downplay
the
helicopter
incident
drew
loud
applause
from
his
supporters.
“That
helicopter
that
you
were
talking
about,”
he
said,
gesturing
toward
the
ZAPU
candidate,
“was
meant
to
bring
me
that
money
to
support
projects.”
Independent
candidate,
Rodney
Jele,
echoed
the
constitutional
framing
laid
out
by
Siziba,
citing
Section
119
as
the
backbone
of
the
MP’s
mandate.
“Zimbabwe’s
constitution
Section
119
talks
about
roles
of
an
MP,
which
is
representation
and
law-making,
monitoring
the
government
performance,
bringing
accountability,”
he
said.
Jele’s
priorities
focused
on
basic
infrastructure,
water,
roads
and
sewer
and
pushing
for
devolution
to
make
sure
provincial
councils
are
operational.
“Young
people
need
to
have
self-sustenance
and
have
income
generating
projects.
We
must
implement
devolution
and
make
sure
provincial
councils
are
implemented
so
that
voices
of
Nkulumane
can
be
heard,
even
that
of
the
greater
Bulawayo,”
he
saidd
Independent
candidate
Mbuso
Fuzwayo
was
repeatedly
shouted
down
by
Zanu
PF
supporters,
especially
when
he
criticised
attempts
to
extend
political
terms.
“The
role
of
an
MP
is
to
protect
the
constitution,”
he
said.
“Right
now
Zanu
PF
is
talking
about
extending
the
president’s
term
of
office
to
2030,
but
we
have
to
follow
what
is
in
the
constitution
and
stop
their
extension.”
As
jeers
intensified,
his
microphone
was
nearly
drowned
out,
but
Fuzwayo
continued,
arguing
that
MPs
must
lobby
the
executive
to
change
its
priorities
and
to
focus
on
social
services.
He
cited
one
of
the
main
priorities
should
be
water
infrastructure
rather
than
“handing
out
cars.”
“Since
independence,
Bulawayo
only
has
one
dam
yet
it
is
a
big
city.
The
government
is
supposed
to
build
dams,”
he
said.