Binga traditional leaders ‘force villagers to vote Zanu PF’
Traditional leaders in Binga North Constituency were reported to have brought groups of voters to the polling station with an instruction for them to ask to be assisted to vote for a ZANU-PF candidate, election watchdogs said alleging a wide array of irregularities that marred Saturday’s by-elections.
Election Resource Centre (ERC) and Zimbabwe Election Support Network (ZESN) raised alarm over the anomaly as well as that of a high number of assisted voters as Zimbabweans cast their vote in parliamentary and local government by-elections whose result is expected to be a window into next year’s presidential polls.
At Mangani Business Centre Tent A in Binga North Constituency, ERC and ZESN observers reported a high number of assisted voters (over 75) by mid-day.
The two election watchdogs also raised alarm over unauthorized persons at polling station.
“ERC and ZESN observers reported that Zengeza West Member of Parliament (MP) visited several polling stations in St Marys Constituency without the required authorisation from the ZEC, resulting in disruption of polling at some of those polling stations,” the election watchdogs said in a joint online statement.
There were also issues surrounding indelible ink with voters reporting wide variation in the types of indelible ink colours used by ZEC to mark voters’ fingers.
“A concern has been that the blueish variance of the ink is of poor quality and may not be able to prevent multiple voting. In limited instances, there are concerns over the quality of indelible ink being used by ZEC,” ERC and ZESN said.
“Reports and images were received from Buhera ward 23, Mwenezi East and Nkulumane polling stations. Indelible ink is important in safeguarding against multiple voting; however poor quality raises fears of potential malpractice. ERC and ZESN urges ZEC to address this concern.”
Stakeholders expressed concern over the quality and integrity of the voters’ roll, which was further compounded by the delay by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission’s (ZEC) in sharing the official voters’ roll for analysis.
“We have said that this by-election was a dry run to next year’s general elections and we wanted to put ZEC to a serious test to see if it is capable and today we can safely say ZEC has failed the citizens,” Mahere told journalists at a press conference in Harare late Saturday afternoon.
“We have had several issues whereby our polling agents were turned away and names of voters were moved from one constituency to the other. We have received reports of violence in Kwekwe; our agents being beaten up. We are saying violence should be a thing of the part,” she said.
“We had a situation in Mutare where our agent stood up to ZEC machinations and we saw him getting arrested for that,” she said before boldly declaring: “Citizens are ready to defend their vote.”
