Independent candidates cry foul

via Independent candidates cry foul – NewsDay Zimbabwe May 27, 2015 bu Obey Manayiti

SOME independent candidates in the June 10 by-elections have accused Zanu PF members of interfering with their campaign programmes by pulling down their posters in order to close them out of the race.

In separate interviews with NewsDay yesterday, independent candidates in Harare said their supporters were also being intimidated by Zanu PF members.

Kuwadzana independent candidate Endai Mugonesa said he had filed several police reports against Zanu PF candidate Betty Kaseke’s campaign teams for allegedly pulling down his posters.

“In Kuwadzana, some Zanu PF youths have actually declared certain sections as no-go areas for other candidates,” Mugonesa said.
“They move around defacing my posters, especially in Kuwadzana 5 and 6.

“At one point, I made a police report, but nothing was done. In fact, the youths pursued me at the police station and no arrests were made.

He also decried the abuse of Chinese-donated rice which he said was being distributed along partisan lines.

In Highfield West constituency, Tafadzwa Dzumbunu, who is squaring off against Zanu PF’s Psychology Maziwisa, alleged some ruling party members were intimidating his family members and supporters.

“There is a lot of intimidation on my supporters and even my family. They come at night and start singing so that they instill fear in me,” Dzumbunu claimed.

“That form of harassment is very unfair. I think we should campaign in peace and let the electorate decide,” he said.
“This has happened since April.

“Besides police, I have also even raised the same complaints with the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission, but nothing has been done.”

Harare East and Hurungwe West independent candidates Farai Kuveya and Temba Mliswa have also raised similar complaints.

However, Zanu PF spokesperson Simon Khaya Moyo could not be reached for comment yesterday, while Maziwisa, who is the party’s deputy director of information, said he was in a meeting.