Chombo unwittingly reveals rigging strategy

By Lloyd Mbiba

HARARE – Ignatius Chombo, the Zanu PF secretary for administration, has unwittingly revealed how his party rigs elections using traditional chiefs.

In a video circulating on social media, Chombo is seen addressing Hurungwe West headmen and warning them that they should not associate with independent candidate Temba Mliswa.

The minister says he has put up mechanisms to monitor Mliswa’s movements ahead of the by-elections slated for June 10.

Chombo also said he is assigning assistants to each of the headmen to ensure that they do not communicate with Mliswa until after the by-elections.

“Mangani masabhuku aripano? 43. Ndichakupai ma assistants 43 vanokubatsirai basa, vanokuchengetedzai kuti musarohwe naTemba, vanomeka shuwa kuti maphone enyu haapinzwe message dzakaipa naTemba. Mai muri sabhuku ndokupai three. Ma assistants enyu anoita basa kusvika musi watavhota (How many headmen do we have here? 43. I will give you 43 assistants who will help you and protect you so that you won’t be beaten by Temba, they will ensure your phones will not receive bad messages from Temba. Lady, you are a headman, I will give you three. Your assistants will work until voting day),” he said.

“Kana vhoti yapera, maasssistants navasiri maassistants enyu vanodzokera kubasa ravo rimwe. Kana vakaramba vari pano vanozokunetsai vakuda kukutongai. (After voting ends, the assistants and others who are not assistants will go back to their other work. If they remain here, they will start demanding to rule over you.)”

The Local Government minister went on to instruct one chief to eliminate any headmen deemed loyal to Mliswa.

“Mambo Nyamura, vanhu vati vabve, vabva kubvira nhasi musi weSvondo, mangwana zvava kwamuri kutsvaga sabhuku wamunoda, motsvaga sadunhu wamunoda anokubatsirai kuti muone kuti vanhu ava havasi kurasika here. (People have said Chief Nyamura must leave, he has left today Sunday, so it is now up to you to choose a headman you want to help you ensure these people are not getting lost),” he said.

Chombo went on to warn the headmen and villagers not to accept any of Mliswa’s campaign material.

“Kuno kwakamboita MDC handizivi kuti yakauya sei, ndokwakauya Temba ikoko. Iko zvino MDC haidzoki, Temba haadzoki nevhoti renyu. Hanzi ari kufamba achigovera maT-shirts ane picture yake navaMugabe onyora kuti Zanu PF. Aitambira tiudzei. Waiitambira masangana sei? Imimi mashaya nyika yose munhu woku tamba naye mavakuda kutamba naTemba? Temba arikuita basa rekutuka madzishe angu achiti ndiye bhuru rekuno, (MDC once came here, I don’t know how, that’s when Temba came. Now MDC will not return and Temba will also not come back through your vote. It is rumoured he is giving out T-shirts with pictures of himself and Mugabe written Zanu PF. Tell us whoever receives them. How will you have met to receive them? So you have found no one else to befriend in the country other than Temba? Temba, who is always telling my chiefs that he is the bull of this area),” he said.

The Zanu PF secretary for administration added that all those spying for Mliswa should go and tell him exactly what he said.

Mliswa has been complaining that a reign of terror has been unleashed in Hurungwe West and his supporters have been attacked by Zanu PF yobs.

Mliswa has also alleged that State apparatus have been unleashed in the constituency.

On Monday, he said he has surrendered his rights to his Spring Farm in Karoi because his workers were being beaten by Zanu PF supporters. Daily News