by MELUSI MHLANGA
BULAWAYO – THE Zimbabwe African National Congress (ZANC) has confirmed it will contest the upcoming Nkulumane Constituency by-election, set for 20 December 2025, with Adelaide Mhlanga chosen as the party’s candidate for Parliament.
The announcement follows the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission’s (ZEC) confirmation of the election date, prompting ZANC’s national leadership to convene and endorse Mhlanga’s nomination.
Mhlanga, a longtime party member and prominent community leader, is known for her advocacy on women’s empowerment and grassroots development.
ZANC officials say her candidacy signals the party’s renewed focus on inclusive governance and community-centered leadership.
ZANC President Timothy Mncube, said the party was confident Mhlanga would offer “visionary and accountable” representation for Nkulumane.
“Ms. Mhlanga embodies the values of ZANC — unity, integrity, and service to the people,” Mncube said. “We are ready to contest, to serve, and to win for the people of Nkulumane.”
The Nkulumane by-election is viewed as a key test of ZANC’s electoral strength ahead of the 2028 general elections.
In the 2023 national polls, ZANC failed to secure any parliamentary seats, though it made modest gains in urban constituencies such as Bulawayo South and Cowdray Park, where it improved its vote share against the dominant Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) and the ruling ZANU-PF.
Political analysts say the by-election will gauge whether ZANC’s grassroots mobilization strategy and push for renewal can translate into actual votes.
Party structures across Bulawayo have already begun mobilizing supporters for Mhlanga’s campaign. ZANC has urged residents of Nkulumane to “rally behind the voice of progress and community renewal.”
If successful, Mhlanga would become ZANC’s first elected representative in Parliament since the party’s reorganization in 2021.
