Sitting Mazowe West Member of Parliament, Kazembe Kazembe is allegedly seeking for the arrest of his contestant Tafadzwa Musarara in a bid to avoid a possible re-run of the constituency’s Zanu PF house of assembly by-elections.
The party on Tuesday nullified Mazowe West primary elections following violence which erupted Monday night at one of the polling stations.
The violence erupted after the two ruling party contestants’ supporters clashed over allegations of rigging by the incumbent who is seeking re-election as the Zanu PF candidate.
The clashes saw ballots being burnt down and polling officers beaten up at Ceaser mine polling station.
According to eye witnesses, Musarara’s election agents had spotted Kazembe’s cars bringing at the polling station ballot boxes in contradiction of the elections’ rules and regulations.
Both Musarara and Kazembe were called to witness the eventuality which also attracted local party leadership.
“Kazembe’s cars brought five (5) ballot boxes and we approached them and demanded to see if they were empty and it was after they had refused that we alerted MP (Musarara) who swiftly arrived and sought audience with the local police and the polling officers trying to understand what was taking place,” said one of the polling agents.
“We were surprised this morning to hear that the local police member in-charge Mr Gororo and the polling officer Akim Musoya who were engaged by Musarara last night, were now claiming that Musarara beat them up and snatched one of their phones,” he said.
“ We see this as a ploy by Kazembe to cook up a case against Musarara so that he is arrested and avoids a re-run of the by-elections,” said another polling agent.
Kazembe was not immediately available for comment as he was attending a cabinet session at Munhumutapa offices.
Violence in Mazowe West was also reported on Sunday at Concession Township after Musarara’s two trucks were allegedly destroyed by suspected Kazembe supporters.
Police later launched a man hunt on one Muwandi, Jonah Ngwenya, Zanu PF Mashonaland Central Deputy Provincial Youth Chairman Frenado Ruwizhi, Concession District Chairman Musakwa, and one Somanje in connection with the violence.
