CHENGETAI ZVAUYA
ZANU-PF is investigating with “highest priority” complaints of vote rigging, burning of ballot papers and violence in the party’s District Coordinating Committee (DCC) elections held over the weekend.
The DCCs are making a comeback after they were disbanded eight years ago for fuelling divisions in the governing party.
The party held DCC elections in eight provinces except for Harare and Bulawayo, but the polls were marred with controversy.
Speaking to Business Times from the Command Centre at ZANU- PF headquarters in the capital, the party’s secretary for security Lovemore Matuke said his department was seized with the matter and will soon submit a report to the party’s Politburo.
Matuke warned the party would descend heavily on members who caused problems in the weekend contest.
“We are working together with the party’s chairperson Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri and the Commissariat department (as we try) to get to the bottom of the matter,” Matuke told Business Times.
“We know that they are some party individuals who were linked with the G40 cabal who caused the chaos in the various provinces resulting in the irregularities.
The chairperson has promised that heads will roll on individuals in the provinces and districts that caused problems and we shall look at all scenarios and incidents that caused problems and address them. We will not allow errant behaviour to spoil the elections that were held peacefully and democratically.”
He said some provinces, however, managed to conduct their elections in a “professional and democratic way” and it was commendable work.
It is understood that in several provinces, aspiring candidates who were barred by the Politburo to contest in the elections were the main culprits.
Heavy rains also delayed the elections in other provinces. In the elections many political heavyweights in various provinces were being challenged in their posts and had also wanted their proxies to win the elections.
Muchinguri, at a press conference this week, also confirmed the problems that had rocked the DCC elections and promised disciplinary actions will be taken on the errant party members.
