Matinenga saw it coming

Constitutional and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Eric Matinenga, who was the Movement for Democratic Change Member of Parliament for Buhera West, saw it coming way before the referendum.

He said he was not contesting the elections, whose date was not known then, because he had promised to serve one term and also because he was totally disgusted with the corruption from both the MDC 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 told the Guardian in January.

“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,” he told another interviewer.

Efforts to persuade him to stand failed though the MDC still hoped he would change his mind until the last minute.

Matinenga was the only government minister who chose to step down without losing the primary elections.

He said politics was costing his family income as he was not making as much as he made as an advocate.

The MDC lost the seat to ZANU-PF in the elections held last week.

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