zakanaka

From The Zimbabwe Standard, 10 April


DA held in elections scandal


Ballot boxes found at home

By Savious Kwinika

Police last Thursday arrested Zaka District Administrator, Nyashadzashe
Zindove, after he was allegedly found with seven ballot boxes and ballot
papers at his home, The Standard can reveal. Zindove was by yesterday still
being held by the police's Law and Order section at Masvingo Central Police
Station. He is expected to appear in court tomorrow. Also last week, Norah T
Chisi, a teacher at Bvudzi Primary School, who was a presiding officer in
Zaka West during the 31 March general elections, was arrested after she
allegedly "lost" a ballot box in unclear cir***stances. Sources told The
Standard that Chisi was on her way to Zaka district command centre at Jerera
when she allegedly lost the box. Chisi was presiding officer at Jichidza
Council Clinic in Zaka West constituency. Assistant police commissioner,
Wayne Bvudzijena, confirmed that police had arrested two people in
connection with election irregularities in Masvingo. "The accused persons
will appear in court soon once the police have completed their
investigations. Currently the Zaka DA is in police custody and the police
are busy investigating the cir***stances surrounding the ballot papers and
the ballot boxes," Bvudzijena said.


Asked to explain how those ballot boxes ended up in a government owned
house, Bvudzijena said the issue was "too complicated". "But from the
reports I got, it appears that those ballot papers in the ballot boxes found
at his (DA) residence were not used for voting. They were leftovers from the
ballot papers used in the elections and they were not counted. Nevertheless,
we are weighing what kind of a charge we are going to lay against him
(Zindove). Right now I can't reveal much because it is a security issue,"
Bvudzijena said. Acting Zanu PF Masvingo Provincial Chairman, Isaiah Shumba,
said the latest findings would not change the election results. "If the Zaka
DA is arrested then it is a legal issue. However, as the ruling party, we
are not going to accept any election re-run simply because of one incident
in Zaka. After all, it's not yet clear how these ballot papers got into this
man's house," Shumba said. The Masvingo provincial chief election officer,
Obert Mujuru, refused to comment on the discovery of the ballot boxes.


Opposition MDC spokesperson, Paul Themba-Nyathi, said discovery of ballot
boxes hidden by a government official was a clear indication that elections
were rigged by the ruling Zanu PF party. He said he was dismayed by the
Southern African Development Community (SADC), African Union (AU) and other
observer missions, which endorsed the elections despite "overwhelming
evidence of rigging". "We said this again and again that these elections
were clearly stolen. The fraud was comprehensive and deep-rooted, and
requires police to investigate. The observers here betrayed the aspirations
of the people of Zimbabwe. "If police had applied their investigative skills
professionally and diligently, they could have unearthed lots of
discrepancies. The police should also investigate the Zimbabwe Electoral
Commission Chairman, Justice George Chiweshe," said Themba-Nyathi.


ZEC during a press conference last week explained the figures that
determined the outcome of the general elections arguing that the
discrepancies were made up by stakeholders in political circles who were
using the media to try to discredit the poll. Chiweshe said: "I explained
that the figures quoted in any update that the Commission may give are not
necessarily an accurate reflection of the facts on the ground and that the
figures were given without prejudice and only for the purpose of giving an
indication as to the turnout trends in various provinces and constituencies.
The correct position is that there is only one set of figures to be
considered and only one process to be examined. These are the official
figures by which the election result was determined. The question of
inconsistencies does not arise." But Themba-Nyathi said: "Justice Chiweshe
said nothing at a press conference that made sense in justifying the
discrepancies."