‘Zanu PF MPs, chiefs instil fear in rural voters’

By Mugove Tafirenyika

National Assembly Speaker Jacob Mudenda has urged opposition legislators to grill Justice minister Ziyambi Ziyambi today over allegations that Zanu PF was intimidating voters by demanding serial numbers of their voter registration slips.

Mudenda was responding to a point of order raised by Glen View North MDC MP Fani Munengami in which he claimed that Zanu PF legislators were at the forefront of forcing villagers to submit their names and details such as serial numbers of voter registration slips to community chairpersons and other community leaders as a way of intimidating them into believing that their voting choices will be traced in the 2018 election.

Munengami claimed traditional leaders — who are taking delivery of brand new offroader vehicles from the President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s administration — were at the forefront of the scam, that he said was fomenting the fear factor in the rural areas.

Mudenda said “what the MP is raising is very pertinent but it can easily be responded to by the minister responsible.”

“You can raise that question tomorrow (today) during question time so that you can get responses so you will have your chance,” Mudenda said.

Munengami had claimed that Zanu PF, working with village heads and chiefs was dangling food aid at voter registration centres and inciting its activists to demand serial numbers from voter registrants.

Munengami said the practice contradicted Mnangagwa’s insistence that this year’s election will be free, fair and credible.

“This was initially prevalent in the rural areas only but now we have learnt that even in urban centres, the trend is the same.

“If the House wants evidence, honourable Trevor Saruwaka has it where a village head demanded that and when he was asked where he got that instruction from, he said he had been directed by the chief.” DailyNews