By Delicious Mathuthu
As the 2023 harmonised elections get closer, the tension in the political atmosphere is gaining momentum with the just-ended ZANU PF primary elections shifting focus to the main opposition party, Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC).
With a different approach from the previous traditional candidate nomination processes, the CCC, as announced by its leader Nelson Chamisa, will have all its candidates drawn from citizens in their respective communities.
The candidate nomination process for the CCC begins today.
Resultantly, some residents are pushing for the nomination of former Deputy Mayor and Ward 8 Councilor, Taurai Demo to represent them in Gweru Urban.
Demo will have to shake off competition from former Mayor Josiah Makombe who is also the current Ward 2 Councilor, who has also been mentioned by residents to take candidacy for the party if he accepts.
If nominated, Demo will also have to face off with current Gweru Urban MDC-T Legislator, Honourable Brian Dube and Alex Mukwembi who just won the ZANU PF primary elections for the same position.
One of the residents pushing for Demo’s nomination, Elizabeth James, says Demo’s experience and character could benefit the constituency.
“I once worked with him and he doesn’t like to cut corners, he wants things done according to what it’s supposed to.
“Mr Demo has experience in public office, he was once a Deputy Mayor before, so I believe their mistakes that he may have done as a Deputy Mayor and now will be able to correct those mistakes or correct some of the things that he may have not done well because he was once in the system and will be able to easily identify where things go wrong.
“He gives feedback in whatever he does, when you go to him and he tells you I will come back to you he ensures that he does so, so I recommend that,” she says.
James says even if he goes to Parliament she is confident that he will get back to residents for reports back and knows residents’ challenges.
“He works with residents, he knows the needs of the residents because he is with the residents
“He knows our challenges and what we need, so much that if they are to make policies he knows which ones can assist or oppress residents.
“He is straightforward, we have gone to him sometimes trying to cut corners but what I have learnt is, he doesn’t accept that and I have learnt a lot from that,” she says.
Another resident supporting his nomination, representing People With Disabilities (PWDs), advocate Nigel Tahwa, said so far Demo is the only person who has shown concern for PWDs and they have been working with him.
“Representing Persons With Disabilities (PWDs)
we believe he is someone who understands issues of service delivery and the issues of PWDs and he is a practical man.
“This year we had a workshop under my organisation (Let us Make a Difference Disability Zimbabwe LMDDZ) targeting PWDs from different organisations wanting to talk about the kind of leaders we want, and he assisted us to make the workshop a success.
“When we went to Jairos Jiri Naran Centre, he was one of the members who donated stationery to us.
“We also did not have transport and he provided his own car to transport the donations and people to the centre, so it shows that he is practical and doesn’t just talk.
“I think he has also amassed experience working with residents in the civil society and he now knows and has an idea of who needs what and where.
“Others that may be nominated we haven’t seen them as PWDs, so it has inspired us to push that he can be our MP.
“Even before now, we had been campaigning for him to be an MP, we have been working with him and have been in good books and we said why can’t he be an MP since we work with him,” Nigel Tahwa says.
Another resident from Ascot, Spiwe Nzira, echoed similar sentiments as James, adding that her support for Demo is because he listens and accepts being corrected.
“I remember some years back when he was warned by (the late Morgan) Tsvangirai when he was Deputy Mayor to work with residents and ever since he has seen the essence of uniting with residents. He has been working with residents ever since.
“When he was Deputy Mayor he was working with us in unison and never had problems approaching him at the townhouse,” she says.
When approached by this publication if he would accept the nomination if his name comes up, Demo said he has no problem with representing them as he has done so before.
“I have no problem with that. Since an early age, I have been into governance issues.
“I became one of the youngest councillors at Gweru City Council representing Ward 8 at 31 years in 2008 and was also elected the Deputy Mayor.
“Since then I have never stopped working with people and after my time as a Councilor, I then joined the civil society and worked with residents under one of the residents’ associations as the Finance Officer,” Demo says.
He added that he also works with vendors, small businesses and schools.
“As you know, I have the Aspiration Village that houses stalls for SMEs.
“I have also worked with School Development Committees (SDCs) here in Gweru and Kwekwe. I was elected Chairperson for Thornhill High, Chaplin High and Kwekwe’s Shungu High as SDC Chairperson.
Demo says he also holds several positions at his Church in Ascot’s High-Density suburb, being the Chairperson of the St Michaels Roman Catholic Church, the Catholic Dinary under the Gweru Diocese as well as the St Joseph’s Guild.
On balancing work in Civil Society and politics, Demo said he will resign once nominated for the Gweru Urban candidacy.
“As long as I am nominated and become successful I will resign. I don’t want to associate CSOs or Residents Associations with politics, as you know Residents Associations are apolitical, so I will resign from my position,” he said.
Education-wise, Demo says he is a holder of a Master’s Degree in Strategic Management and Corporate Governance, a Bachelor of Commerce Degree in Accounting, a Bachelor of Commerce Degree in Business Management, a Diploma in Public Sector Accounting, Post Graduate Diploma in Tertiary Education and a Southern Africa Association of Accounting Higher Diploma among several other qualifications.
An Accountant by profession Demo says he also works as a part-time Teacher and Lecturer and a businessman in his own right.
On the minimum qualification for MPs and Councillors debate, Demo says he believes everyone should be given an opportunity to be a representative provided that they are willing to upgrade themselves once in office.
“Yes, there is a need for education, being elected means you are now dealing with people and we need working policies.
“I support the notion for minimum qualifications 100 per cent but the alternative is that if those who are uneducated are elected, they should develop and upgrade their education through institutions like the Midlands State University.
“The relevant authorities should come up with at least a course that capacitates political leaders and give them a certificate so that they become competent.
On what he can offer Gweru Urban residents Demo said “I believe I am confident and competent enough with vast experience in governance issues.
“Council and Parliament are somehow similar in terms of how they operate and I have that experience to guide me.
“Part of an MP’s job is to represent people, policy-making and playing an oversight role and if people indeed nominate me I will put maximum effort and work wholeheartedly,” he said.
