MUTARE- Contesting candidates in the Zanu PF District Coordination Committee (DCC) elections are considering pulling out over massive rigging in the revolutionary party’s internal vote.
This is an indictment over the ruling party as it appears to have failed its own internal process as rigging was reportedly witnessed in Mutare district. Some presiding officers were reportedly taking bribes from aspiring candidates to sway the elections in their favor.
The elections are marred in controversy and had a false start after a vehicle carrying ballot papers on Saturday had a breakdown in Marondera.
The chairmanship’s position is eyed by four candidates, Biinali Yard, Clever Muparutsa, war veteran Ivan Mbengo and the outspoken Cecilia Gambe, who was a Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA) executive at one time.
However yesterday there were reports that Gambe wanted to pull out of the elections citing massive rigging.
Gambe has reportedly wrote a letter to the party leadership citing some irregularities in plebiscite although she refused to comment over the matter yesterday.
However another candidate who commented on condition of anonymity said there was shortage of ballot papers.
“These elections are not free and fair at all, there is massive rigging that is going on, in some wards people are voting without identity cards and how can you expect the elections to be free,” he said
“There is a massive shortage of ballot papers , just imagine there is a ward with 349 registered voters and the ward only received only 47 ballot papers, and we decided that the ballot papers which was voted in that ward to be burnt and start afresh,” he said
“In ward 4 people are voting randomly and they are voting at least five or six times with some agents reportedly keeping ballot papers in the pockets and receiving bribes from some candidates and help them rig the elections,” he said
A voter who refused to be named said he was shocked to find out his name missing in some ballot papers.
Other voters reportedly got the shock of their lives are saw that some people had voted on their behalf.
“l was coming from intending to go and vote and l was shocked that my name had been voted for,” said another voter.
Zanu PF Manicaland secretary for administration Kenneh Saruchera refused to comment over the rigging allegations, but appeared to suggest that this was nothing new in the ruling party.
Saruchera said he was not allowed to speak to the press directing all questions to acting party spokesperson Patrick Chinamasa who was not reachable at the time of going to press.
“l am not allowed to speak to media but the issue of rigging is next to nothing,” he said.
