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Barred election observers in Mudzi
Crisis Coalition in Zimbabwe
March 30, 2005

Zimbabwe's forthcoming parliamentary elections have again been dogged by controversy. The District Administrator of Mudzi and sitting Member of Parliament for Zanu PF, Ray Kaukonde allegedly sent teachers away whom the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission had deployed on the pretext that they were MDC sympathizers.

This latest open defiance of the SADC principles and guidelines that govern the conduct of free and fair elections have further vindicated that Harare is yet to fully comply with the guidelines. The involvement of the District Administrator's office, an organ that has no mandate totally in the running of elections, has cast further doubts over the autonomy of the newly created body. Interestingly, Mudzi constituency is renowned for political notoriety.

During the 2000 parliamentary and 2002 presidential elections respectively, political violence and rampant allegations of electoral fraud committed by ruling party supporters rocked Mashonaland East province. It was also alleged that opposition supporters were chased away at some polling stations and in others election monitors did not access the polling centres. The opposition MDC in their election petitions in the High Court cited the cases when they disputed the two polls.

The incident also betrays the promises of education for all, a principle envisaged by both Zanu PF and the opposition MDC in their manifestos. Teachers are an integral part of the education system, and their harassment is diametrically opposed to the value of education. The latest information from the Progressive Teachers' Union is that the teachers are gathered at Harare Girls High awaiting deployment, after the intervention of the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission.

Raymond Majongwe, Secretary General of the Progressive Teachers' Union blasted Ray Kaukonde for stooping so low. "It is disturbing, that Ray Kaukonde, for all his robust stature, could stoop so low as to accuse the teachers that they are MDC supporters simply because they come from Harare". One teacher, who spoke on condition of anonymity, revealed that they were told if they observed the elections in Mudzi they would pollute the area.

Brian Kagoro, Chairperson of the Crisis Coalition, maintained that the incident was unfortunate, and demonstrates the intolerance that is still rooted within Zimbabwe's body politic.

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