HARARE – The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) says there was a high voter turnout averaging 75% in today’s harmonised elections at the close of polling at 7pm.
Addressing the media this night ZEC chairperson Priscilla Chigumba said voting was peaceful throughout the country.
She said the turnout in Masvingo was 60,62%, Bulawayo (70%), Midlands (75%) and 70% turnout in Harare.
Chigumba said turnout for Mashonaland East, Mashonaland West, Mashonaland Central, Matabelelend North, Matabeleland South and Manicaland.
She said female voter had collapsed and died in a polling station in Bulilima.
Attention on today’s election has been on the presidency where incumbent and Zanu PF candidate Emmerson Mnangagwa and MDC Alliance candidate Nelson Chainsaw fought it out in the first general elections in which Robert Mugabe was not a candidate.
Mugabe resigned last year as he faced impeachment.
Mnangagwa voted at Sherwood Primary School in Kwekwe.
Speaking to journalists after voting Mnangagwa said, “I am happy that both the process for campaigning was peaceful, voting today is peaceful. I have no doubt that the end process of the entire electoral process will remain peaceful.”
In Harare, the limelight was on MDC Alliance candidate Nelson Chamisa and former president Mugabe who voted in Kuwadzana and Highfield respectively.
After casting his vote at Kuwadzana 2 Primary School, Chamisa was confident of winning the Presidency.
“Victory is certain, the people have spoken. It’s clear it is a vote for freedom, democracy and new Zimbabwe, ” he said.
“I have no doubt by the end of the day today, we should be clear on an emphatic vote for change for the new Zimbabwe and for the young and I represent the young. ”
In Highfield, Mugabe made a grand entry amid chants from supporters as he arrived to cast his vote.
In Magunje which falls under Magunje Constituency, voting went on smoothly with no cases of political violence being recorded. Godfrey Gandawa (Independent) was contesting against Siso Kashiri (Zanu PF) and Tonderai Kusemamuriwo (MDC Alliance).
The voting started as early as 7am and there were no cases of voters being turned away and the turnout was quite fantastic. Interview with several voters pointed to the fact that there were no cases of voter intimidation in the area.
There was only a notable issue in Mudzimu which also falls under Magunje Central Constituency which is also the home area for Gandawa. There are allegations that Gandawa could not cast his ballot out of fears for his life after he escaped an attack from unknown assailants at his homestead in Harare last week. Since then he has been in hiding.
Contacted for comment Gandawa said, “As you are aware, my life was threatened recently so I will have to assess the situation before I can go to Mudzimu to cast my ballot. I have sent my emissaries there to assess the situation.”
This publication latter tried to contact Gandawa if he managed to finally exercise his right, he was no longer picking calls.
In Birimahwe 20km from Magunje voting was going on well and by 8:30 am about 100 voters had casted their ballot.
In Karoi, voting went on well, but the turnout of voters was very low. At Chikangwe Primary School polling agents could be seen milling around without much to do. Going to the Chikangwe bus terminus, people mostly youth could be seen getting on with their normal business of vending.
It was only at a polling station which is 500 metres from the bus terminus where 50 voters were turned away for double registration. This issue infuriated mostly MDC Alliance agents but generally the voting process in Karoi was going on smoothly.
Hurungwe District chief polling agent Taona Pfunye said the issue of voters turned away was being addressed.
In Hurungwe East expelled former Zanu PF firebrand legislator Sarah Mahoka cast her vote at Buffalo Downs polling station which is 15km from Karoi. She said voting went on well in the constituency but only one case of voter intimidation was recorded in the Mauya area where some observers were denied entry into the polling booth.
In Chinhoyi voter turnout was poor in most polling stations and by 13:00 hours polling agents in most wards had absolutely nothing to do. In ward 4 of Chinhoyi there was no more activity by mid-afternoon.Generally voting went well in Mashonaland West Province, and no cases of political violence were recorded by the close of the day.
In Mashonaland East province, Goromonzi West constituency the polls have closed at 7pm tonight and voting went on smoothly without any major incident of violence. People in the constituency went to the various polling stations dotted around the constituency to cast their vote. Zanu PF candidate Energy Mutondi polled at Nyamande Primary school at 10.00am and MDC Alliance candidate Luke Tamborinyoka polled at Tsatse primary at 11am.
Both candidates expressed confidence of winning the seat and were happy with the peaceful atmosphere in the elections. Goromonzi West Elections officer Constance Chikomba said they had not managed to compile the final number of people who had cast their votes and will do so in the night when the vote counting starts.
In Murehwa voting went on well and no incidents of violence were recorded. People started gathering around at 6 am with the polling stations opening at 7 am and closing at 7 pm. In Murehwa South some people were turned away for coming to wrong polling stations. A number of visually impaired and elderly were assisted to vote.
Zanu PF Murehwa North MP aspirant Daniel Garwe voted around 11am while MDC alliance aspirant Golden Mutize cast at 10am at Murehwa Training Centre.
In all wards there were more women voters than male. By the time of closing at 7pm Murehwa District Elections Officer Samson Tsodzo said voting went on well in the district but results are still coming through and they will be complied later in the evening.
Meanwhile, there was voter apathy in Chegutu as there was generally a very low turnout at the majority of the polling stations. On average there was not more than 5 to 7 voters at any given point in time at the Chegutu West command center polling station during the day.
In contrast however, voters came out in their thousands in Zvishavane and Mberengwa constituencies, with a strong representation from the youth.
In Bindura, most polling stations in Chiwaridzo, Salvation army A and B, Bindura Hospital, Buse, and Mt Darwin campus, saw polling agents a lot more relaxed late in the afternoon. Some were even sleeping while they wait for people who we’re slowly coming in.
The situation was peaceful in Bindura and Mt Darwin with no reported incidents of violence, however candidates from Zanu PF and MDC Alliance said some of their polling agents were denied access because they were not accredited.
The head of the EU observer mission, Elmar Brok, said: “Overall I must say the people wanted to vote, they were in a very good mood to vote in most cases and it makes me optimistic that people want to make really clear what their opinion is, who should run this country in the future.”
