SIFISO Mpofu, an employee of Transport and Infrastructure Development minister Obert Mpofu, is the new mayor of Victoria Falls after MDC-T councillors inexplicably voted for a Zanu PF candidate on Monday.
SENIOR REPORTER
Sifiso Mpofu won the race for the top post despite Zanu PF having three councillors against MDC-T’s seven.
Sifiso, councillor for Ward 10, got six votes, beating MDC-T’s Margaret Valley of Ward One who got four. Noris Nyathi of MDC-T Ward Seven was elected his deputy.
Sifiso’s victory came on the heels of the minister’s relative Bekithemba Mpofu’s election into Parliament to represent Hwange West constituency in which Victoria Falls falls under.
The election of the two could strengthen Mpofu’s political position and growing influence in the province after most of the candidates he was backing at local government and Parliament level prevailed in the elections.
“It’s true that his (Mpofu) influence has been extended in Matabeleland North Province, gauging by the performance of candidates he was backing,” Dumisani Nkomo a political activist said.
“However, looking at the big picture his influence is not much in the region since in Matabeland South, (Zanu PF chairman) Simon Khaya Moyo has much influence.”
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Gweru-based analyst Nhamo Mhiripiri said all politicians got strength from networking with other politicians.
“I would not know about the personal relations to these candidates, but what I know is a politician gets strength from the general people and networking with other politicians,” he said.
“If he has these people whom you say he is backing he becomes a powerful personality.
“However, there are many complexities which need to be unravelled before we attribute everything to a single person.”
Mpofu was one of the most active Zanu PF politicians in the run-up to the July 31 elections as he drummed up support for the party’s candidates throughout Matabeleland North Province
