SADC observer mission puts credibility of Zim polls under the microscope

Harare- SADC observer mission has put the credibility of Zimbabwe polls under the microscope and put an egg on Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec) ‘s face over misconduct and negation of tenets enshrined in the constitution.

In a candid preliminary report delivered Friday in Harare, SADC mission chairperson Nevers Mumba put it to citizens that the CIO’s intimidation of voters through Forever Associates Zimbabwe (FAZ created an uneven ground and judicial capture.

According to the report, FAZ operatives were allegedly deployed to polling stations across the country and disrupted the smooth flow of the voting process.

“The Mission was informed that the rural vote maybe compromised by alleged intimidation attributed to a group called FAZ which is said to be a quasi-security intelligence organisation.

“The group was said to have been deployed to wards and around 36 000 villages.

“Allegations are that people were intimidated to vote in a particular manner,” said Mumba.

He added that some aspects of the elections were devoid of requirements espoused in the Constitution of Zimbabwe ,the electoral act and the Sadc principles and guidelines governing democratic elections.

Mumba further noted that it is up to the players to approach the court of law and castigated the nocturnal voting where some polling stations used candlelight after the national power utility cut down power.

Speculative reports are that the involvement of firebrand Zambian president Hakainde Hichilema influenced contents of the preliminary report.

Meanwhile, several Zanu PF bigwigs were shockingly defeated despite of massive injection of funds.