Under-fire ZANU PF Mashonaland Central Provincial Chairman, who is desperate to retain his post in forthcoming elections, was further embarrassed when his acolytes were caught red handed while trying to rig the district elections in Mt Darwin.
The district elections are a precursor to the provincial elections. Provincial elections were recently suspended by Zanu PF owing to grim infighting.
Kazembe is hopeful that his allies will win the district elections as they will then make up the provincial elections college whose support he needs to win. The going has been tough for him as he faces robust challenges from local stalwarts Lazarus Dokora, James Makamba and Tafadzwa Musarara.
In the latest scam, the Party Provincial Deputy Secretary for the Commissariat, Shepherd Kararira, an avowed runner for Kazembe, was caught trying to influence the vote in favour of Kazembe by trying to stuff ballot boxes with already marked ballots.
In the ruse, Kararira teamed up with Mt Darwin Urban DCC Chairperson, Ranga and distributed the pro-Kazembe marked ballot papers amongst voting district executives.
However, eagle-eyed members would have none of it and exposed the cheating. In the ensuing commotion, Police details were called in and shepherded all participants to the Party District Offices where searches were conducted and the crime exposed. The elections were summarily aborted.
Meanwhile, investigations have also implicated the presiding Officer, one Cde Maruza from Muzarabani who allegedly pocketed US$500 from the Kazembe camp to facilitate the rigging.
Previously, Kararira, Ranga and Kamukombe had moved around Mt Darwin clad in Tshirts embazoned “Commissariat” and attempted to influence Party members to vote for Kazembe, who they claimed would win whether they voted or not.
This development is the latest in a series of alleged election deception as the Kazembe camp pulls out all the stops to retain the influential post that appears threatened by the candidatures of Makamba, Dokora and Musarara.
