THE Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) has announced that over 300 000 people were turned away from polling stations while as many as 206 000 were assisted to vote during the just-ended harmonised elections.
REPORT BY WONAI MASVINGISE August 9, 2013 in Elections 2013
The revelation reinforced aggrieved political parties’ claims of massive vote theft and a flawed electoral process.
The official statistics were released in Press statements published by Zec yesterday.
According to Zec figures, the number of voters turned away constitutes 8,7% of the total votes cast while that of assisted voters amounted to 5,9%.
In a preliminary report of what Zec calls unverified statistics, urban areas had the highest figures of people turned away while the combined Zanu PF strongholds of Mashonaland provinces had the highest number of assisted voters.
Masvingo, as an individual province, recorded the highest number of assisted voters with 34 950 while Harare had the highest number of persons turned away totalling 64 483.
In 2008, the MDC-T almost made a clean sweep of votes in Masvingo while Harare is a traditional MDC-T stronghold.
Manicaland recorded 31 277 assisted voters and 42 525 persons were turned away while Mashonaland Central, Mashonaland East and Mashonaland West had 34 044, 27 974, 23 166 people assisted to vote respectively. The number of people turned away in Mashonaland Central was 18 517, Mashonaland East 20 464 and Mashonaland West 56 733.
In Midlands, 35 543 people were turned away while 25 312 were assisted to vote.
In Bulawayo 2 313 voters were assisted and 11 388 turned away. In Matabeleland North and South 14 314 and 9 462 people were assisted to vote respectively while 14 424 and 11 521 were turned away respectively.
Zec issued another statement yesterday seeking to explain the figures it had published the previous day. The commission attributed the high number of voters who were turned away to reasons such as lack of proper documents and non-appearance of their names on the voters’ roll.
On the huge number of voters assisted to cast their ballots, Zec cited a high turnout of elderly and physically challenged people as major reasons.
“There was a high turnout of the old-aged people in this election which category has a high illiteracy rate,” said the electoral body.
But MDC deputy spokesperson Kurauone Chihwayi said the figures confirmed that the electoral process was flawed.
“The figures from Zanu PF strongholds confirm that this was a flawed process. The figures are just unbelievably ridiculous. The same figures have seriously exposed Zec and Zanu PF. Only fools can endorse Mugabe victory. It is now clear that one of the political players, particularly Zanu PF, stole the elections,” Chihwayi said.
MDC-T spokesperson Douglas Mwonzora said Zec’s figures, although grossly understated, showed the electoral process was flawed and this would be proved in their court application which he said they would file today.
MDC-T went on to file the application yesterday.
“We do not agree with those figures at all and our court application will prove that those figures are wrong. Zec has conveniently forgotten to include the figures of those who voted using voter registration slips,” Mwonzora said.
Mavambo/Kusile/Dawn (MKD) leader Simba Makoni told a Press conference that assisted voting was used to intimidate voters.
“Voting was not free of intimidation. There are widespread reports of high numbers of voters seeking assistance, either on account of illiteracy or poor sight. Interestingly, the high incidence of assisted voters occurred in the rural areas,” Makoni said.
“Given the high level of literacy in Zimbabwe, and the low level of assisted voters in 2008, it is disingenuous to suggest that Zimbabweans are less literate in 2013 than they were in 2008.”
Zanu PF spokesperson Rugare Gumbo said he could not comment on the matter as he was busy.
In its preliminary report on the July 31 poll the African Union (AU) observer mission raised concerns over the high number of assisted voters and those turned away.
“The Mission notes with great concern the high incidence of voters who were turned away at polling stations,” the AU said.
The AU observer mission also raised concern over the high number of assisted voters especially in Muzarabani and Mashonaland Central.
“Examples include polling stations in Muzarabani District, Mashonaland Central; at Musengezi, at the time of observation, 97 voters out of 370 were assisted; Kapembere Primary School, 77 voters out of 374 were assisted and Bore Primary School 85 voters out of 374 were assisted,” the AU said.
COMMENTS
Please stop refering to certain provinces and areas as ‘zanupf stronghold’ the correct term is ‘Zanupf’s Stranglehold.’
Do have proof that those assisted voted for zanu pf. What about if they voted mdc. Those turned away its either wrong ward and some of them ended up voting after being refered to the correct ward. To make this issue simple those turned away can be zanu pf supporters too so lets argue with better issues justfiable at law. Lets not delay inauguration because you are now failing to accept defeat. Even myself If appointed to crash Mdc arguements can do so in less than one day. Icho Asijiki kiii kiii.
if these courts reject the rerun election which is a zanu control the ,you must listen to 2 songs whats up by 4 non blondes and someting in the air by thunderclap newman.enjoy.
Given the serious problems with this rigged election and the overwhelming case that has and is being made to expose the rigging, I am looking forward to the re-run. Naturally there should be no inauguration at all in these circumstances. It would be wholly wrong to sanction these kleptocratic processes. Let us hope the court will respect and uphold justice in terms of the exposure of the truth about these stolen elections and be honourable about nullifying the results and calling a re-run as quickly as possible. It is time that a free, fair, open and honourable voting process was now fully enabled so that the views of millions of disenfranchised Zimbabwean citizens can be heard at last. Let this travesty of justice be exposed for the sake of our beloved country.
Mugabe must understand that he is an elderly of Zimbabwe, he is in his last days on this planet please for the sake of your own values Mugabe, the whole world cannot be fools you must respect yourself and do the right thing, so that your children can hold their heads up high and be proud of their father do the right thing, and you know what to do exit with dignity
Lucky for Tsvangirai that 300000 were turned away or he would have lost by a greater margin!
You see Chimsoro that’s the thing. MDC did not lose the vote – it was stolen from them like 2008 and 2002. Really, you think about it. Why would people vote for ZANUpf when they have spent the last decade in pure misery, starvation, rapes, houses burnt down… this list is never ending. So why would someone even contemplate to continue living in this pure misery, starvation, rape, houses burnt down, beatings and vote for ZANUpf. This is what I just do not understand. Maybe you can enlighten me.
Seems to me the election was a failure even from an organisational point of view let alone looking at rigging and intimidation.
No wonder key people have resigned from ZEC. It’s shameful to sign off on such a mess.
Zimbabwe has 95% Literacy rate yet there was astronomical numbers of people who cannot just write an X on the ballot paper with party symbols and pictures of candidates.
there is no movement no wayforward not even an inch because its not only morgen who was robbed but everyone of us I mean majority of people including diasporas the relatives and all the young generation so never dream of wayfoward for where as long as this mess is not addressed you go and get married wayford never ever.Those mdc winners who think they will join the gvt must totaly foget they have to get that mandate from all zimbabwean.you allow mugabe to denay despora vote where on eath this has happened.you let mugabe rush election,ini ndakaona mapolling station
airara akachengetwa nevanhu vezanu pf pasina munhu vemdc in town in harare not kumusha hamuna even kuziwa mapolling station ose kwanzi pane vari kuunza maCV for mayorship .election are null and void apinda next time hatimuvhotere. vavhoti takatsamwa we need evething to be stated again no matter the outcome of your patsan concourt. but next time involve everyone in your systems tokupaimazano even for free not all this mess
this report has a big error margin office ukaona yotaura 300 000 non registed voters panenyaya. to prove zimbabwean are ready to prove the actual numbber of people who were denied not to vote.Also disporas must must be allowed to vote we are not citzen of those counntries you evil musadaro
Cry the Beloved Country!
Vana chimusoro ndimi makauraya vanhu manje hamuchazivi zvekutaura
But what kind of cowardice causes someone to be assisted to vote? Zvimwe tinongoshora ZANU (PF) chokwadi ndechekuti isu maZimba hatizvikoshese. How can hundreds of thousands of people be so afraid as to rig their own vote? I don’t think it is possible for Mugabe to kill even 1000 people, may be 500 people were going to be killed after the election. We must know that without a bloody sacrifice, there will never be democracy in Africa. If we are afraid of seeing blood flowing in Zim, then we must be prepared for ZANU (PF) rule until Jesus’ second coming!
This whole thing is just making me sick to my stomach.who in their right mind support this so called political party.Zanu pf is a party of bullies and it’s make me wonder y wld some1 want to be associated w such a party if u are not a bully or thug or a thief .look @some of the pple support tht support zanu pf party like Chinotimba who thinks if they rig an election and he becomes an MP then he ll be a professor.the only educated fool in the party is the oldest thug& bully Mugabe.any one else who support ZANU wake up and smell the coffee Becz tym is not on ur side.remember the ZANU pple are not going to be on ur side when the going gets tough.they are the kind of pple who lll eat their own chn when hungry .KNOW THAT!!!!i I wld like to keep going but I m done wasting my energy.
I think it would be prudent to compare the assisted voters in the general election to the constitutinal referendum. There must be a correlation on the statistics.