A leading election monitoring group has condemned Zanu PF’s
alleged attempts to use medical drugs to influence the outcome of the Lupane
East constituency by-election, saying the move violates the principles of
democracy.
The Zimbabwe Election Support Network (Zesn) said it was
disturbed by revelations that Zanu PF commissar Victor Matemadanda requested
the Health ministry to supply clinics in Lupane East with medicines and drugs
as part of the ruling party’s campaign.
A leaked letter by Health minister Obediah Moyo directing
the state-owned pharmaceutical firm Natpharm to supply the drugs caused a stir
recently with the main opposition MDC accusing Zanu PF of vote-buying.
“While Zesn acknowledges the right of political parties to
solicit for votes during the campaigning period, this act violates the
principles of democracy,” Zesn said in a statement.
Zesn said vote-buying includes “promising, offering or
giving money, goods, services or other inducements such as promises of employment
or special favours or treatmen to voters”.
“It is, therefore, disturbing to note that essential drugs
and medicines, which should be readily available and accessible to every
citizen, are now allegedly tied to a political party’s campaign for a National
Assembly seat,” Zesn added.
“Critical for a free and fair electoral context is a
pre-election environment devoid of irregularities and malpractices such as
vote-buying and the misuse of
government resources where food aid such as maize and rice
and other resources are being distributed along partisan lines.
“This inevitably creates an uneven playing field for
political contestants.”
Health and Child Care permanent secretary Agnes Mahomva
last week tried to extricate the ministry from the scandal by claiming that the
supply of drugs to the
clinics was part of a routine government programme.
However, in her statement she did not make reference to
Moyo’s letter to Matemadanda.
In the 2018 elections, foreign observer missions and the
Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission condemned the use of food aid by Zanu PF to
try and influence the
outcome of the polls.
Meanwhile, MDC leader Nelson Chamisa will address two
high-profile rallies in Lupane East ahead of the parliamentary by-election in
the constituency on August
3 where the opposition party will try to wrestle the seat
back from Zanu PF.
The seat fell vacant following the death of Sithembile
Gumbo of Zanu PF in April.
Both Zanu PF and the MDC have rolled out elaborate
campaigns in the constituency in Matabeleland North.
MDC Matabeleland North provincial chairperson Prince
Sibanda said members of the party’s standing committee had been deployed in the
constituency to drum up
support for its candidate Dalumuzi Khumalo.
“I can confirm that Chamisa will be visiting the
constituency where he will hold rallies in two wards,” he told Sunday Southern
Eye.
“As I speak, I am making final arrangements to book for the
two rallies. On Saturday we had rallies in all the 14 wards in the constituency
where all members
of the national standing committees, who include the
vice-presidents, were addressing rallies and preparing ground work for the
president.”
Sibanda said the MDC was poised to win back the
constituency it lost in 2002 in a by-election following the death of its MP
David Mpala.
He said Zanu PF does not care about the people of
Matabeleland North and only shows interest when it needs votes.
He castigated the Zanu PF government, saying it was taking
people from the region for granted.
“Matabeleland people are dehumanised by Zanu PF as they
only get drugs because they lost an MP,” Sibanda said.
“Zanu PF is only interested in getting votes from the
people and does not care about them.
“This time we are prepared for them.”
Sibanda said MDC had also stepped up preparations for
by-elections in Bubi’s ward 22 and Nkayi’s ward 23, which will also be held on
August 3. Standard
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