Has Matinenga decided to call it quits?

The Movement for Democratic Change-Tsvangirai faction’s primary elections for Manicaland have been held. There is one glaring blank. Under Buhera West, it reads- pending.

Buhera West is, however, not the only constituency with pending primary elections in Manicaland. There are four other constituencies-Mutasa South, Mutare North, Makoni Central and Chipinge Central.

What makes Buhera West interesting is that the current Member of Parliament for that constituency, Eric Matinenga, who is the Minister for Constitutional Affairs, has indicated that he will not be standing.

Matinenga was quoted in a local report last week as saying that people should not rush him because he was still in mourning for former University of Zimbabwe professor, John Makumbe, who died five months ago

“I hope everyone is aware that we have just lost a dear and invaluable colleague and that it is too early to start revisiting future plans while tears are still running down our cheeks. Why can’t the media respect culture and wait for the right time to discuss such issues. I loved Makumbe so much that it would be difficult for me to talk about the previously agreed succession plan,” he was quoted as saying.

But he added: “Remember I am a democrat and really would love a situation whereby someone takes over from where I leave the people’s service. Zimbabwe and Buhera have equally capable MDC people who can assume roles of MP should I leave office as I intend to do.”

Matinenga was quoted in a British newspaper, The Guardian, in January as saying that he would not be standing because he had promised to serve only one term and he was totally disgusted with the corruption from both his party and the Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front.

“When I made a decision to run for political office in 2008 I already had a plan for what I was going to do. I was going to serve only one term as MP and go back to being an advocate. The corruption and hunger for power I have seen on both sides of government (ZANU-PF and the MDC) has not made me want to go back on my original principle to serve one term. People go into politics to make money. It is not about public service. I was naïve,” he was reported to have told fellow Zimbabwean Blessing-Miles Tendi.

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