Well, that election was a total ghost town. Voter turnout completely bombed in that Nkulumane constituency by-election in Bulawayo, with widespread apathy, especially from younger people. Nine candidates ran for the seat left empty after the previous legislator, Desire Moyo, died in a crash. His widow, Esther Zitha, was among them, facing off against Zanu PF's heavily backed candidate, Freedom Murechu, who had major party figures campaigning for him. Reports also surfaced about alleged vote-buying, with some pointing to new boreholes being drilled as a possible incentive.
Official numbers showed a pathetic scene. Out of nearly twenty-three thousand registered voters, fewer than four thousand actually cast a ballot by late afternoon...