Biti tells SADC observers that soldiers will be manning some polling stations

Movement for Democratic Change secretary general Tendai Biti today told Southern African Development Community election observers that the election process has been militarised and some of the military personnel will be manning polling stations on Wednesday.

He said some of the soldiers who are manning polling stations are:

• Staff Sergeant Nhamo Kamunhenga who is at Charles Clark,
• Staff Sergeant Albert Matare at Birimahwe,
• Corporal Christopher Nyamunhondo at Badze Primary School,
• Sergeant Gushu, Sergeant Manhende and Corporal Nyazungu all at Magunje Primary School.

Major Zwizwai of the 2.3 Infantry Battalion is the coordinator of the above army personnel.

“We complained about the role of the military during the special vote and the voter registration process itself,” Biti told the observers at the MDC headquarters.

Biti also raised concerns over:

• the credibility of the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission to hold free and fair elections;
• the continued vitriol coming out from the public broadcaster, the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation;
• the failure by security sector to issue out a statement showing their commitment to their impartiality of belonging to any political party; and
• the failure by ZANU-PF to implement issues that were resolved during the SADC summit held in Maputo, Mozambique last month.

“Half of the ZANU-PF candidates in its primary elections were serving members of the police and army and we now have a plethora of lawlessness” Biti said.

In the MDC’s own words:

Hon. Biti meets SADC observers

The MDC secretary general, Hon Tendai Biti today met with SADC observers in Zimbabwe to monitor the 31 July elections.

The meeting was held at the MDC head quarters, Harvest House.

During the meeting, Hon. Biti raised concerns over the credibility of the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) to hold free and fair elections, the continued vitriol coming out from the public broadcaster, the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation, the failure by security sector to issue out a statement showing their commitment to their impartiality of belonging to any political party and failure by Zanu PF to implement issues that were resolved during the SADC summit held in Maputo, Mozambique last month.

“Half of the Zanu PF candidates in its primary elections were serving members of the police and army and we now have a plethora of lawlessness” Hon. Biti said.

He raised concerns on why ZEC had managed to make an application at the Constitutional Court seeking that civil servants especially police officers who failed to cast their special votes, be allowed to vote when it failed to make a similar application when over three million Zimbabweans failed to register to vote on 31 July.

“ZEC went to court to have half of the police officers who failed to vote on 14 and 15 July to cast their vote on 31 July but what worries us is they could not go to court for the three million people who could not register to vote,” he said.

He raised concerns on the current state of the voters’ roll after ZEC had failed to furnish the party with the roll raising fears that dead people are still appearing on the roll.

“What we know is that over 100 000 people over 100 years old are on the voters’ roll while the number of polling stations in urban areas have been reduced from those that were available in 2008. I know these things do not happen in your countries but they are taking place in Zimbabwe,” said Hon. Biti.

He said the election process had been militarized after military personnel had seconded to polling station across the country against the Electoral Act of Zimbabwe.

Some of the soldiers who are manning polling stations are; Staff Sergeant Nhamo Kamunhenga who is at Charles Clark, Staff Sergeant Albert Matare at Birimahwe, Corporal Christopher Nyamunhondo at Badze Primary School, Sergeant Gushu, Sergeant Manhende and Corporal Nyazungu all at Magunje Primary School. Major Zwizwai of the 2.3 Infantry Battalion is the coordinator of the above army personnel.

“We complained about the role of the military during the special vote and the voter registration process itself,” said Hon. Biti.

He further raised concerns on the rising levels of violence and intimidation.

“Such violations include assaults by members of the army, the tearing down of MDC posters, the burning of party regalia and the force-marching of people and closure of business activities when Zanu PF rallies are being held,” said Hon. Biti.

31 July – I Vote for Change!!!

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