Ballot Scandal Rocks NASH Elections as Multiple Provinces Disqualified Over Voting Irregularities

By Elishamai A Ziumbwa

A major electoral scandal has rocked the National Association of Secondary Heads (NASH) following the disqualification of some provinces from the recent 2025 leadership elections after ballot irregularities were uncovered.

In a report seen by 263chat, the election’s Returning Officers — Mr. Akuneni Maphosa, Mr. Boniface Munyenyiwa and Dr. Sifiso Ndlovu — officials revealed that ballot counts from at least three provinces exceeded the number of ballots originally issued.

This has raised serious concerns over the integrity of the election process including fears of ballot stuffing, duplication and compromised distribution chains.

“We saw excess ballots that could not be reconciled or explained by procedure or documentation. The credibility of the vote count was under serious threat,” the Returning Officers said in their report dated July 11, 2025. “

According to the report, the Midlands province returned four extra ballots in the presidential vote, while Manicaland had two extra votes for the Vice President post.

The discrepancies spanned several portfolios with Manicaland returning 15 additional ballots in Athletics, Midlands had an excess of 10 ballots in Basketball and one in Volleyball and Mashonaland East had three extra ballots in Netball.

The returning officers said despite efforts to allow provincial observers to explain the anomalies, no credible justification was found.

In line with principles of electoral fairness, the Returning Officers disqualified the ballot submissions from all implicated provinces in the affected positions.

“This action was not meant to target any individuals or regions. It was a necessary measure to uphold fairness and protect the democratic process,” the report said

Among the disqualified were the entire Midlands vote in the presidential race and the Manicaland votes in the vice-presidential election.

Several results in Athletics, Netball, Volleyball and Basketball were also nullified.

The report urged urgent reforms within NASH’s electoral framework and recommendations include digitizing ballot tracking, providing mandatory training for presiding officers, and amending the association’s constitution to embed clearer electoral procedures.

The officers concluded “While the disqualification of ballots is a serious step, it was essential to restore trust in the process and ensure electoral justice.”