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ZEC bungling escalates to unprecedented levels
Douglas Mwonzora, Movement for Democratic Change
July 30, 2013

With only hours to go to the elections it is clear that the MDC has already won these elections. The bumper crowd of 120 000 that constituted the Cross Over Rally in Harare yesterday is clear testimony that Zanu-PF and Mugabe are headed for a crushing defeat tomorrow. Already the state media has already started to prepare the nation for a runoff election and have started to pin their hopes on Welshman Ncube to split the presidential vote and possibly force a runoff election.

Faced with this inevitable defeat, the state machinery has now embarked on a number of measures calculated to interfere with the vote. These include the following.

Slowing the voting process in Harare

We have discovered that ZEC wants to slow down the voting process in Urban centers particularly in Harare by reducing the number of voting points on each polling station. We are told that some of the polling officers will deliberately embark on a go-slow just as they did during the voter registration exercise. This will definitely disenfranchise millions of voters.

Denying the MDC a copy of the analysable electronic voter's roll

Just with some hours to go for polling, ZEC is yet to avail an updated electronic voter's roll despite concerted efforts by MDC to have this availed by the electoral body. Our source has also revealed that ZEC has failed to locate about 1000 ballots for Goromonzi West constituency. We call upon the International community especially SADC and the AU to be wary of these worrisome developments which is certainly meant to effectively put the electoral process in the hands of the partisan Security Forces.

JOC interference

Although our constitution prohibits political interference by the security forces, our sources have revealed that ZEC has been instructed to send election results to JOC first before making them public.

Limiting media space

Lately Zanu-PF has embarked on serious cyber interference as a way of closing down communication platforms such as Whatsapp, Bulk text messaging as a way to curtail flow of information as voting progress. Another sinister intention is to shut this election process to the world. We are also aware that Jonathan Moyo is behind the prohibition of airing of the MDC adverts. We will lodge our displeasure with the relevant bodies, the AU, COMESA and SADC.

Intimidation

Village heads

We are alive to the fact that village heads under the instruction from Zanu-PF have been implored to hold meetings with villagers today, to arrange how they will vote tomorrow. The village heads have been instructed to queue with their subjects at polling stations. This is unlawful and people must resist this. We will raise this concern with the observer team.

Jonathan Moyo's malicious utterances on state broadcaster

The MDC totally condemns utterances by Prof Moyo on ZTV, on 29/09/20013 in which he sort to intimidate the nation with statement like, "If you don't vote wisely, the batton will not be passed. President Mugabe has the final say in it all." This is not only malicious but totally unacceptable in modern dictates of politics. We object strongly to these utterances, coming on the eve of the election. Jonathan Moyo's posturing is not only primitive but downright archaic and undemocratic.

Jabulani Sibanda's threats

As if taking a cue from Professor Jonathan Moyo, the rabid war veteran Jabulani Sibanda again abused the state broadcaster on 30/07/2013 to issue threats to the electorate, by claiming that war veterans will not accept any one without national values. Again we condemn such tired misguided utterances from Jabulani. This is not only unacceptable but frivolous and vexatious and we urge the people of Zimbabwe not to take such outbursts seriously. In Kariba Major Nuku and Sagent Major Ngwenya has been going around in the night wielding a gun specifically to intimidate the MDC councillors.

Arrests of MDC officials and activists

There has been a sudden surge in cases of arrests of MDC officials and activists by police lately. Our Chief presidential election agent Morgan Komichi, is still languishing in cells after being denied bail, hours before elections. In Chimanimani West District chairperson Freddy Dziwande was yesterday afternoon arrested for allegedly drawing people's attention by hooting his car on his way to a rally, which was addressed by Hon Lynette Karenyi. Dziwande was still held hostage at Nedziwa Police Station by yesterday. Again in Manicaland was arrested on Saturday for allegedly addressing a meeting that was not sanctioned by police. He is out on $50 bail and is to appear in court soon.

ZEC bungling escalates

With some hours to go before this crucial election, we continue to unearth serious unprecedented irregularities in the administration of this election by the Zimbabwe election Commission. We have it on good authority that in Bulawayo's Nketa and Nkulumane constituencies, ZEC deliberately misplaced polling stations to confuse voters.

For instance, in Nketa Constituency there are three polling stations which are supposed to cater for Nkulumane voters. What this means is that Nkulumane voters will have to travel to Nketa to vote while those in Nketa will be turned away in their constituency and will start looking for their actual polling stations. As a result this fraud will disenfranchise the voter and cause confusion on the electorate.

Further to this, still in Bulawayo, there are revelations that there are more than 90 000 extra ballots that have been brought into the province. Also there are ballot papers that have been found without any serial numbers while other wards had shortage of ballot papers. It has also come to our attention that some ballot papers which arrived yesterday on Monday had the same serial numbers with the ones previously received.

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