ZANU PF yesterday held chaotic primary elections marred by violence and vote rigging claims with some candidates' names missing from cell registers while ballots were not delivered in some areas.
In Mashonaland Central, President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s
shadowy campaign team, the Forever Associates Zimbabwe Trust (FAZ), was accused
of vote rigging in Bindura, Muzarabani, Mt Darwin and Rushinga where 27 cell
registers were reported missing.
Some polling stations were yet to receive ballot papers by
4pm in the province.
"The way FAZ is conducting elections in Mt Darwin
raises a lot of questions.
“How can cell registers be missing honestly?," a
disappointed Zanu PF member said.
In Matabeleland South, Beitbridge, police were summoned
late yesterday afternoon to restore order at Beitbridge Mission where chaotic
scenes were the order of the day.
Several Beitbridge candidates slept at their district
command centre housed at the Beitbridge Old Police Station command centre
fearing ballot box stuffing.
"This is real politics; we slept here to guard our
interests," a candidate said.
At 6am, several policemen were deployed to different
polling stations spread across the district with some centres 150km away from
the command centre.
Unlike in the past where only the Zanu PF old guard
including senator Tambudzani Mohadi and Metrine Mudau featured in the
primaries, yesterday there were youths contesting.
In Matobo’s ward 25, elections were called off because of
violence. The violence was sparked by vote rigging reports.
Fear and intimidation characterised the elections in
Mashonaland West with scores of people failing to find their names in the
voter's register.
When The Standard visited a polling station at Chegutu
Country Club the queue, mainly composed of illegal artisanal miners, was moving
slowly with scores of people complaining that their names had disappeared from
the voters' roll.
Sitting MP Dexter Nduna was facing off with Farai
Chigavazira.
Supporters linked to Chigavazira stormed Bosbury Primary
School armed with machetes to stop the elections in Ward 24 before taking away
voting materials.
In Sanyati Constituency, the two front-runners, Mines
deputy minister Polite Kambamura and Thembikosi Magwaliba were both accused of
violence and intimidation of each other's supporters.
In Hurungwe East, some voters failed to vote at Kavaya
Secondary School, Chimusimbe Primary School and Zvarai Primary School because
there were no ballot papers.
Zanu PF members in Murewa South Constituency were left
seething with anger after ballot boxes failed to be availed in time.
In Murewa South, voting continued beyond 4pm.
In Marondera East Constituency, at Mountview Training
Centre, a number of voters were still to cast their votes after 2pm.
Speaking to The Standard, some voters claimed that their
names were missing from the cell registers despite the recent cell verification
exercise.
Some voters at Chikangwe hall in Hurungwe said their names
were missing from cell registers and chaos and confusion reigned supreme.
A voters’ cell register for the Johane Marange Apostolic
sect members went missing at Chikangwe hall.
Some Apostolic sect
members tried to break into the hall as they demanded explanations from the
election teams.
It was the same story in Matabeleland North where some
voters failed to find their names on the voters ‘roll.
A Zanu PF member who wanted to cast his vote at Lupane
Primary School complained that their names were struck off from the voters'
roll.
'' It all points to rigging,” he said.
There was also chaos in Manicaland where ballots were
delivered late.
Zanu PF Commisor Mike Bimha said some areas had been
allowed ro exdtend voting to between 7am and 1pm today.. Standard
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