Aspiring candidates in Mutare district have begun secret campaigns as the watershed Zanu PF district co-ordinating committee elections scheduled for November draw nearer, defying a directive by the party not to campaign as that would trigger division. BY KENNETH NYANGANI Five candidates, who include the owner of the now-defunct Premiership side Highway Football Club, Clever Muparutsa, war veteran Ivan Mbengo, Cecilia Gambe and Blessing Haragu have allegedly handed in their curriculum vitaes for the chairmanship in Mutare district. Sources told NewsDay yesterday that Banayi Yard and Muparutsa appeared to have an upper hand because they had grassroots support. “Five candidates are vying for the chairmanship for Mutare district and they have already started campaigning secretly in various wards,” a source said. “Some candidates are even dishing out money and groceries to the electorate with the support of some party bigwigs who want to consolidate their power.” “Comrade Yard seems to have the grassroots support and has higher chances of winning, the same with Muparutsa, who is said to be enjoying the support of provincial chairman Mike Madiro,” the source added. “To become a chairman, rules are very clear that you need to be a district executive for at least five years and that you should have no criminal record,” the source added. Madiro declined to comment on alleged secret campaigns, but claimed his province had done what was needed in running DCC elections. “As a province, we have done what is needed by the party to run the DCC elections and the processes went on well,” he said. “I cannot comment further than that as there are people who specifically comment on DCCs. The issue of people secretly campaigning, I am not privy to that.”