Meet Chipinge’s only independent candidate

FUNGAYI MUNYORO-CHINGAIRA
CHIPINGE TIMES REPORTER

CHIPINGE-Blardy Borniface Zinhuku (33) is the only independent candidate in Chipinge contesting the August 23, 2023, general elections. He is vying for the Chipinge Rural District Council (RDC) Ward 16 seat.
Zinhuku told Chipinge Times that politics is in his blood. He said his father, Elton ‘Pamberi’ Zinhuku was Reverend Ndabaningi Sithole’s right hand man.
His father also contested for the Glen Norah parliamentary seat in 1985 while his older brother Brian Zinhuku contested the Chipinge West parliamentary seat under an MDC-T ticket in 2008.
“Politics is in my blood. My active and intense interest in politics grew in 2008 when my brother was contesting for a parliamentary seat under an MDC-T ticket. His participation invited torture, and I witnessed my pregnant sister in-law being tortured in 2008 by ZANU PF militia, including my neighbour in Gaza,” he said.
Zinhuku holds a Degree in Economics and Masters Degree in Economics from the University of Zimbabwe. He said if voted into office, he will institute an independent community administration.
“The first thing I aspire is to return the community to the people and institute an independent community administration. This is a board that will administer the affairs of Ward 16.
“Board members will be at every business centre in the ward. All resources found or allocated to the ward will be distributed and accounted for by this committee. Every month the administration will hold meetings with the community and suggest solutions and budgets to the proposed actions,” he said.
He also said he will lobby for policies to support business growth by engaging banking institutions to offer loans to small scale farmers, business owners and youth for empowerment projects.
He lamented misgovernance which he says gave birth to poor services delivery, and poor education system amongst other things in the country.