NewsDay has established that an attendance register is
marked during every meeting and an audio doing the rounds on social media seems
to confirm this.
In the audio, the voice of a suspected Zanu PF official is
heard sternly threatening villagers in what is believed to be somewhere in
Manicaland province.
The Zanu PF official claimed that villagers are already
being monitored and spied on by security officials deployed in their wards
ahead of the elections.
On election day, the official said, villagers will vote
according to their cell registers, in what may turn out to be one of the
biggest electoral violation.
“We have a cell register which will be used on election
day,” he is heard saying, amid mumbles of disgruntlement in the background.
“I am urging that if you are not available to attend our
meetings on a particular day, you should go and report to your cell chair to
give notice. If you don’t attend our meetings, you will pay a fine of a goat.
“On election day, the cell chair will lead the process. The
cell chair, who has all the names of the cell, will tick the register as we
vote. This election will be different from the previous ones, where you would
go straight to vote with a national identity card. This time, you will go
straight to your cell chairperson who will give you permission to go to vote.”
He adds: “There are many people who are monitoring you and
you don’t know some of them. I think you were told that we have two election
dates; August 23 and October 2, if there is re-run, you might taken from your
home and be killed.”
Zanu PF spokesperson Christopher Mutsvangwa dismissed the
reports and audio as part of a sponsored smear campaign against the ruling
party.
“There have been a lot of people who have been planted to
smear Zanu PF. Look at the numbers attending our rallies, no one have been
forced to attend.
“There are people who have infiltrated our party and are
trying to smear our party,” he told NewsDay yesterday.
“People who feel victimised should report to the police,
people are protected by law of the land. Police are there for law and order and
those who feel infringed should report to police.”
Analysts yesterday pleaded with political parties to
observe peace before, during and after the elections to ensure the polls are
not disputed.
“There is a need for the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission to
look into this issue in line with its mandate to stop the electoral malpractice
and for political parties to adhere to the electoral code of conduct,” analyst
Vivid Gwede said.
“Police must also play their part to ensure perpetrators of
violence are brought to book.”
Another political analyst Sydicks Muradzikwa called on Zanu
PF leaders to lead from the front in campaigning for peace.
“Any public utterance by the centre becomes a policy
position. Violence has been unleashed at the rallies by the Executive through
the word of mouth. How many times has President Emmerson Mnangagwa mentioned
the word kurakasha (assault the opposition)?” he said.
Meanwhile, police yesterday said they had launched an
investigation into a case in which Environment and Tourism deputy minister
Barbra Rwodzi is accused of intimidating a police officer for arresting and
opening a docket against a Zanu PF supporter who defaced opposition candidate
campaign posters in Chirumanzu.
“The Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) has taken note of an
audio circulating on social media concerning the incident involving some ZRP
Charandura members allegedly with the deputy minister of Tourism and
Environment ... The case is now under investigation,” police said.
In the audio, Rwodzi, who is the Zanu PF legislator for
Chirumanzu South constituency, was recorded insulting a senior police officer,
who was preparing a docket against a Zanu PF supporter, only known as Danger.
The supporter is also believed to be part of Rwodzi’s
campaign team and was reported for allegedly tearing down CCC posters in the
constituency.
In a three and half minute audio that has since gone viral
on social media, Rwodzi is heard calling Assistant Inspector Matsa, based at
Charandura Police Station, a “stupid idiot”. Newsday
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