HARARE —
Police in Harare early Sunday arrested the MDC-T’s deputy national chairperson and deputy transport minister Morgen Komichi in connection with a ballot paper from the special or early vote that was found in a dustbin at the Harare International Conference Centre.
Komichi handed the ballot to the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission Friday but in a turn of events, police officers arrested him saying they wanted to know who had given him the piece of paper.
“The police are not in denial that the ballot paper is genuine but they want to know from our deputy chairperson the whistle blower,” the party’s organizing secretary Nelson Chamisa told reporters.
“We believe that it is not Senator Komichi but ZEC, which has questions to answer. For us these developments witnessed demonstrate the integrity of Zanu PF. Zanu PF wants to undermine the will of the people. Zanu PF knows that it is going to lose this election and that is why they are attempting to rig it.”
Chamisa said he was concerned by reports of increasing political violence ahead of the polls, noting in particular Mudzi in Mashonaland East province where he alleged villagers were being commandeered to Zanu PF militia bases.
At the bases, Chamisa alleged, villagers were being told to record the last three digits of their ballot papers on polling day and surrender them to their village heads who will be waiting a few meters from the polling station.
“However, what inspires us is that the people will vote for real change and a new Zimbabwe,” he said. “Our ducks are on the row and it is game over for Zanu PF and game over for poverty and tyranny.”
Komichi handed the ballot to the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission Friday but in a turn of events, police officers arrested him saying they wanted to know who had given him the piece of paper.
“The police are not in denial that the ballot paper is genuine but they want to know from our deputy chairperson the whistle blower,” the party’s organizing secretary Nelson Chamisa told reporters.
“We believe that it is not Senator Komichi but ZEC, which has questions to answer. For us these developments witnessed demonstrate the integrity of Zanu PF. Zanu PF wants to undermine the will of the people. Zanu PF knows that it is going to lose this election and that is why they are attempting to rig it.”
Chamisa said he was concerned by reports of increasing political violence ahead of the polls, noting in particular Mudzi in Mashonaland East province where he alleged villagers were being commandeered to Zanu PF militia bases.
At the bases, Chamisa alleged, villagers were being told to record the last three digits of their ballot papers on polling day and surrender them to their village heads who will be waiting a few meters from the polling station.
“However, what inspires us is that the people will vote for real change and a new Zimbabwe,” he said. “Our ducks are on the row and it is game over for Zanu PF and game over for poverty and tyranny.”