Zanu PF, War Veterans Force Zimbabweans to Vote for Mugabe

WASHINGTON DC —  Thousands of people claim that they are being forced to declare at polling stations that they are illiterate in order to be assisted by known Zanu PF youths and war veterans to vote for President Robert Mugabe and his party in Mudzi, Uzumba, Maramba-Pfungwe and other areas in Mashonaland Central.

MDC-T candidate for Uzumba Peckson Kazingizi said his agents are not going to sign Zimbabwe Electoral Commission forms to endorse the elections in his constituency as people have been arm-twisted to vote for Zanu PF.

“I complained that one of the people who was said to be illiterate and needed to be assisted was a teacher and nobody listened to me. The so-called illiterate people were then removed from the polling station only to come back with bandaged hands to fake injuries so that the youths could vote on their behalf. ,” said Kazingizi.

He said this election has been rigged in Uzumba and has informed ZEC officials and election observers about the goings-on in the region which has over the years voted in large numbers for Zanu PF.

Kazingizi said his agents were not going to sign the papers confirming that the elections were free and fair.
Reports being sent by voters in Chipinge, Manicaland province, and most parts of Mashonaland East and West also indicate that people are being assisted to vote by Zanu PF youths and war veterans.

Here are some of the messages that were sent by some voters in various parts of the country (unedited): “Zec presiding officer at kapatamoyo pry polling station no.3035 ward 16 has chased mdc t polling agents and wil not let them back. Mt darwin north zambara pry evryone was assisted to vote

I am a polling officer at Gaururo pry school in Mberengwa North constituency. I discovered that more than 50 people who applied for id documents during mobile registration last month were given waiting pass id papers with blurred pictures. Registrar officials told them the pictures were good and accepted when voting. It seems there cio agents blurring pictures of certain people so that they fail to vote. Now is the voting day. All people with blurred pictures were denied voting because of blurred pictures.

In chiredzi north ward 23 people a forcd 2 vote as follows. Village A&B @one polling station & village C&D @ another polling station so that they easily detect which village has more opposition.”