ZIM DECIDES : AS IT HAPPENS

updates by The Herald
1330: Former president Robert Mugabe has voted in Highfield. He was accompanied by his wife Mrs Grace Mugabe and daughter Bona.

1325: In Bindura South constituency. Out of the nine centres the following had voted as at midday, Cornerstone 406 people, (197 males and 209 females), Brinkburn, 260 (110 males and 150 females); Trojan C 289 (135 males and 154 females); Garikai 255 (144 females and 111 males) and Trojan B 220 (126 makes and 94 females). Long queues are still the order of the day.

1253: In Gutu Central, Ward 21 at Gonye Primary School 330 people have cast their votes, 197 women and 133 men. So far 31 voters have been assisted to cast their vote, 23 females and 8men. ZEC presiding officer Ms Judith Chimwe said voting is going on peacefully. Gutu Central aspiring Member of Parliament, as well as the Minister of Mines Cde Winston Chitando, has just cast his vote accompanied by his family members.
1252: Mazowe West aspiring member for the House of Assembly Cde Kazembe Kazembe has said Zanu-PF will shock the main opposition MDC Alliance, which he said had underestimated the revolutionary party.

Veld fire disrupts the voting process at New Donnington Farm polling station.

1250: In Mt Pleasant Constituency 350 have voted at Vainona High School polling station out of the 639 who have registered so far.

1247: Meanwhile, Zec chairperson Justice Priscilla Chigumba is currently addressing the media. She says as of 8am 90 percent of 10 985 polling stations were open and voter turnout was high. She expressed confidence that the voting process will be complete by 7 pm.

“Zec notes that two presidential candidates seemed to have campaigned in violation and we have reported to the authorities. We dont have investigative powers. In Matabeleland North, Bulawayo and Masvingo provinces all stations opened on time. In Manicaland, all 1 438 polling stations opened on time. Polling stations Matabeleland South all opened on time with Beitbridge East recording long queues. In Mashonaland East, turn up was high while in Mashonaland West all stations opened of time. Polling stations in Mashonaland Central opened on time. There are long ques in Bindura North and Harare most of the time. To chief elections agents, media and observers it is a violation to interview voters on their way to and from polling stations. Those found in breach of the code of conduct risk having their accreditation revoked,” said Justice Chigumba

Another press conference will be held in the evening and more statistics will be availed.

1231: Voting is going on well in the Midlands Province. ZEC says the voting exercise has been flawless in the Midlands province. ZEC Midlands Provincial Elections Officer Mrs Docas Mpofu said the Electoral board had not encountered any challenges in the deployment of personnel manning polling stations as well as the distribution of the ballot paper.

1228: A few voters walked away saying they’ll return later at Nketa Hall in Bulawayo as they complain about the pace of the voting process.
1227: Voting started as early as 7 am in Mazowe West Constituency with very long but fast moving queues forming. No incident has been reported, except an isolated case where one individual was turned away at Amandas Primary School Polling Station because their name could not be found in the voters roll.

By 10 am at an average of 250-300 people had cast their ballots, with a total of 538 having done so at Amandas Primary School Polling Station. Long Queues are still forming at many of the 53 polling Stations in Mazowe West Constituency.

1213: In Masvingo South at Njajena Secondary polling station has been divided into A and B with 553 expected to be served at B and 552 at A. So far 200 people have voted at B (109 females and 91 male) 32 assisted and 7 turned away at Polling station ( A) 82 have cast their ballots (40 males n 42 females) 33 were assisted and only one person turned away.
1154: At Bolton Jenya Primary Sch polling station in Hwedza North Constituency 189 out of 424 registered voters at the polling station had cast their ballots by 10 am. people could be seen trickling in by 11.20am in small numbers as the majority had voted early morning. the voting process was reported to be peaceful. Only two people were turned away due to ID-related challenges.

1151: Epworth Constituency Elections Officer Cephas Mudavanhu says they have encountered a challenge with many voters going to wrong polling stations since this year’s Harmonised Elections are Polling-station-based. This challenge has also resulted in the slow processes.
1147: Over 2 000 people have voted in Ward 2 in Epworth as at 11:45 am.

1143: In Norton many people arrived at the various polling station in the constituency early in the morning when the polling process be7 am.at 7am. Long queues snaking outside polling stations characterise the situation in the constituency as people came out in their numbers to cast their ballots. At Dudley Hall Primary School voters patiently waited in long queues to reveal who they trust to keep Zimbabwe safe. Presiding officer Mr Emmanuel Phiri told the Herald crew that the situation was peaceful. “The voting process is progressing peacefully with no incidences recorded so far,” he said. At St Eric Primary School, the situation was peaceful. 

Presiding officer Ms Chiedza Hanyani said only two prospective voters were turned away. “We turned away two people since the voting started. One had his ID number unreadable while the other had his name not appearing in the voters roll,” she said. More than 300 people had voted at St Eric, with the majority being male voters. Aspiring independent MP Temba Mliswa cast his vote at CCAP in ward 7. The presiding officer at CCAP polling stations a Ms Botoman said one person was turned away on the grounds that his name appeared on the exclusion least because of duplication of registration.

1135: By 11:30 am, a total of 266 had voted and 9 turned away for coming to the wrong polling station at St Aidan’s AB Primary, Chitungwiza South. The queues are now shorter. ZEC officials at Gillingham Primary school in Dzivaresekwa are making sure the injured, elderly and parents with infants do not join long queues, which voters are complaining not to be flowing as fast as they expect.

1134: Unlike the long queues at Zanamwe Business Centre, Rufaro Corner Shops polling station in St Mary’s has shorter ones. Just over 200 have voted at the centre so far. 108 female, 99 males and 3 have been turned away.

1132: People’s Rainbow Coalition aspiring member of parliament Mr Farirai Zivave says “so far so good people have come out to vote in numbers but it looks like they might have to extend voting hours because the too many. The process is too slow. But the environment is peaceful.”

1130: Hwange West Constituency has 62 polling stations, 32 230 registered voters, and 10 National Assembly candidates vying for the seat formerly held by Zanu-PF’s Bekithemba Mpofu who is not contesting as he lost the primaries. Voting currently going on well.

1118: In Mazowe North, Forrester F Primary School polling station there was chaos an hour ago after Coalition of Democrats candidate for National Assembly Elias Malukula and Independent Candidate Shingirayi Runganga allegedly stormed in the polling station complaining about assisted voters prompting the intervention of the police to quell down the situation. In a comment to The Herald, Presiding Officer James Mahora said the two candidates complained over the issue of voters being assisted though pointing out that it is not an electoral offence for old aged people to ask for assistance during the voting process.
1108: In Mufakose, the voting process is going on smoothly at all 26 polling stations. About 1 456 voters were already in queues by 7 am. Only two voters at Mufakose High School polling station have been turned away. Statistics of those who have voted so far are still being compiled.
1106: In Wedza North Constituency at Chop Chop polling station. There were four people in the queue by 10:30 am as the majority had voted early morning. Out of 347 registered voters at the polling station, 235 had voted by 10.27am. Polling officers could be seen relaxing waiting for voters to come. Presiding officer said everything is going on smoothly and peacefully. There were five assisted voters because some were illiterate while the others had visual impairments. Three candidates are vying for the seat being Musayabayana David for Zanu-PF, Dzinemunhenzva Egypt-Forces of the Liberation Organisation of Africa National Party and Makara of MDC-Alliance.
1045: 105 people have cast their votes in Ward 3, at Roman Catholic University in Paddonhurst, Bulawayo. 62 males and 43 females. Three people have so far been assisted to vote.

1043: “Voting started on time in Nyanga North and South. There were pretty good queues at some polling stations especially those near or at Growth points. The only polling station that I visited and witnessed a short queue was at Mangondoza. We are still compiling statics from all the polling stations in the district,” said Nyanga district elections officer Mr Arthur Chigumadzi.

1034: Of the six polling stations visited by 10 am in Chiredzi West Constituency, 1 155 people had voted, 41 being assisted voters and 4 having been turned away for various reasons chief among them being the wrong polling station.

1032: There are long winding queues at Chinamora Hall although ZEC has provided three polling stations. So far voting has continued peacefully in Goromonzi West and no incident of Violence has been reported. Zanu PF candidate, Cde Energy Mutodi said voting is being conducted peacefully. He said he was impressed by the high turnout of people at the polling station. Cde Mutodi said there were some challenges in the morning as names of some Zanu PF agents were not on the ZEC list. The problem has since been rectified. MDC Alliance parliamentary candidate, Luke Tamborinyoka complained of the same problem of the names of the agents not appearing on the ZEC list.

1030: In Mhangura Constituency, MDC Alliance has not fielded agents in most parts of the constituency’s rural areas.

1027: At Budiriro 2 Primary School in Budiriro Constituency, Presiding officer has just asked voters to switch off their cell phones after one voter was suspected of taking photos within the booth. Voters taking approximately 3 minutes to cast their votes.

1007: President Mnangagwa has cast his vote at Sherwood Primary school in Kwekwe. The President says the country is experiencing democracy never witnessed before. He says former president Mugabe is allowed to express his opinion as it’s his democratic right. President Mnangagwa was accompanied by family members, his children and daughter in law. He says he will continue to engage former President on regularly as a citizen of this country.
0952: Voting is progressing peacefully at Tsholotsho centre and surrounding wards. Tsholotsho District has two constituencies – north and south. The north has 10 wards and 76 polling stations while the south has 12 wards and 67 polling station. Altogether there are 22 wards. A total of 22 candidates are vying for the two National Assembly seats while 91 are contesting for the 22 local authority seats. In Tsholotsho South, outgoing MP Zenzo Sibanda (Zanu-pf) is battling it out with 10 opponents. In the north, former MDC-T MP Roselyn Nkomo, now under PRC banner is wrestling with 10 candidates who include Sibangumuzi Khumalo of Zanu-pf. The constituencies have been previously won by Zanu-pf with former cabinet Minister Prof Jonathan Moyo in the north

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