constituency1. The NCA candidates’ specific words are quoted as; “We have participated in the past by-elections and we are using this opportunity as a way of advertising our party so winning is a bonus to us but we just embrace the democratic processes of our country,” 4.2. Internal Political Party Democracy The Chiwundura ZANU-PF primary elections were held amid serious factional clashes2. The primary elections were also highly contested with 21 candidates participating. However Mr Pearson Mbalekwa, who won the primaries, will not be the ruling party’s candidate for the by-election. Mr Mbalekwa was replaced Mr Brown Ndlovu, who was the first runner-up of the Chiwundura Zanu-PF primary elections. The media is awash with conflicting reports as to the reasons why Mr Mbelekwa withdrew his candidature. His press statement on the same, cited personal reasons, however the ZANU-PF National Political Commissar is reported to have blocked Mr Mbalekwa’s candidature3. Mr Mbalekwa is a former MDC-T national security advisor and former Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) officer. The graph below depicts the results of the ZANU-PF primary elections. 1 https://www.zimeye.net/chiwundura-by-election-latest/ https://www.dailynews.co.zw/articles/2017/05/28/mdc-youth-stabbed-in-chiwundura-as-poll-violence-rages-on 3 http://www.zbc.co.zw/2017/05/23/zanu-pf-primary-election-winner-withdraws/ 2 15 | P a g e