ZANU PF has instructed all its party candidates who lost in the just-ended harmonised elections to return top-of-the-range cars they received ahead of 2023 political campaigns.

In a show of its financial muscle, Zanu PF doled out 210 brand new branded vehicles, including 4x4 Nissan Navaras and Ford Rangers, to parliamentary representatives contesting in the polls, but had earlier warned losers would be forced to surrender vehicles.

In a circular dated September 29, 2023 addressed to all provincial chairpersons, Zanu PF Secretary General, Obert Mpofu said all defeated aspirants must return the cars by Wednesday without fail.

"This serves as a directive to all the Zanu PF parliamentary candidates that participated and did not succeed in the just-ended harmonised elections to surrender the party vehicles that were allocated to them to the Zanu PF party headquarters by Wednesday 4 October 2023 without fail.

"This is pursuant to the circular that was issued before, followed by a decision made by the party leadership at the Politburo meeting held on 28 September 2023," wrote Mpofu.

He told provincial chairpersons to ensure that the command is successfully implemented.

Dozens of losing candidates will be affected by the directive.

Following previous elections, the party allowed unsuccessful aspirants to continue using party-issued vehicles to conduct constituency work as shadow MPs hoping to improve their political fortunes.

NewZimbabwe.com could not immediately establish where the cars would be deployed to, but indications are that some would be allocated to elected party officials in the Main Wing, War Veterans, Women and Youth league structures.

Others are expected to be issued as pool cars to secretariats at various levels.

President Emmerson Mnangagwa's party gobbled millions of United States dollars purchasing the campaign vehicles in his bid to secure a second and final term in office and a parliamentary majority