SW Radio Africa news - The Independent Voice of Zimbabwe
ZANU PF perfected its vote rigging machinery over a long period of time and it was virtually impossible for the party to lose last week’s election, an election observer has claimed. Speaking to SW Radio Africa’s Hidden Story program on Wednesday, the observer, who asked to be identified simply as Shumba, said never in the history of elections has he seen voters so of terrified going inside a polling station.‘I’m a teacher and have lived and worked in Mberengwa for so many years but I was amazed at the sheer number of people who asked to be assisted because they claimed they couldn’t read or write,’ Shumba said. Shumba, who was part of the local ZESN observer group, said he taught most of those who requested assistance and was flabbergasted by the deception displayed by the voters. ‘Gariro school in Mberengwa, more than 100 voters were assisted and if you want to do some maths, roughly add an average of about 100 voters per polling station and the over 5,000 polling stations in rural areas and you’ll see how many people were forced to vote for Robert Mugabe,’ he said. He continued: ‘Almost all new voters who registered between May and June had their names appearing at different stations from where they registered. It’s like Mudede (Tobaiwa) knew that everyone who registered in the two months prior to elections was likely to vote MDC hence they came up with a master plan to disenfranchise them deliberately putting their names in different constituencies.’ In hindsight, Shumba believes the MDC formations should not have taken part in the elections without the changes they demanded at the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission secretariat and the registrar-general’s office.‘The election was won at Mudede’s and ZEC’s offices. People here in Mberengwa are saying to themselves why were they are forced to participate in elections that have a pre-determined outcome.‘They are already saying the opposition should never ever enter into an election without a new voters roll, and fundamental changes to ZEC. For me personally, I would urge the opposition to demand for a biometric voters roll that eliminates chances of massive rigging,’ Shumba added. Meanwhile our correspondent in Bulawayo says scores of people are stranded at Mandava bus terminus after they were bussed to the area in ZUPCO buses to vote for ZANU PF. It’s believed that after the election, ZANU PF abandoned the people and has failed to transport them back to their homes in Birchenough Bridge and Chipinge, Manicaland province.↧