LOCAL political think-tank, Zimbabwe Democracy Institute
(ZDI), has claimed that contrary to denials by public officials, a huge number
of soldiers had, indeed, been deployed in most villages across the country to
intimidate the opposition and mobilise support for the ruling party ahead of the
July 30 elections.
In a research paper titled Zanu PF/Military deterrence of
the village vote, ZDI claimed that the President Emmerson Mnangagwa-led
government had unleashed a sophisticated military scheme to instil fear in the
electorate.
“The main observation is that the Zanu PF government has
innovatively increased military presence in villages, the intent being to have
as much intimidated village voters as possible before the election date,” the
research findings read.
According to the research, 81% of the sampled respondents,
who included key informants consisting of traditional leaders, Zanu PF members
and ordinary villagers, all concurred that there had been an increased presence
of identified soldiers in villages mainly in Mashonaland West and Central
provinces.
Their perceived agenda, according to the survey, is to
campaign for the ruling Zanu PF party, as 38% of the sampled respondents
clearly said the soldiers were campaigning for Mnangagwa to be voted into
office in the coming elections.
At least 57% of the sampled respondents went on to clearly
disclose their embedded fear to vote for the opposition, as the military is
reportedly using psychological coercion.
ZDI director Pedzisai Ruhanya yesterday said the military
was waging a covert “psychological warfare” on behalf of the ruling party.
“Go beyond Harare and interact with the communities, you
will be shocked. Most (election) observers are coming here with the view of
seeing huts being burnt, but that is not what is happening. There is now
psychological warfare, where people are being reminded of Gukurahundi and 2008
(violent elections),” Ruhanya alleged.
But Zimbabwe Defence Forces spokesperson Colonel Overson
Mugwisi recently dismissed reports that the military had been deployed in
villages to support Zanu PF.
He said the deployment of soldiers was only being done for
border control operations, humanitarian, demining activities and artisanal
construction projects, among other known military mandates.
The ZDF had, by last night, not responded to NewsDay’s
questions about the ZDI report, with police elections committee commander
Assistant Commissioner Erasmus Makodza and national spokesperson, Senior
Assistant Commissioner Charity Charamba dismissing the report as unfounded.
Newsday
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