GLOVES are literally off in the Zanu PF Midlands province which is plagued by internal factional fights, with re-elected provincial chairperson Jason Machaya urging the party to take action against members of his rival’s camp Auxilia Mnangagwa, Douglas Tapfumanei and Mackenzie Ncube over allegations of vote-buying and rigging.
BLESSED MHLANGA/ Stephen Chadenga
Machaya, who is believed to be sympathetic to the faction aligned to Vice-President Joice Mujuru in the battle to succeed President Robert Mugabe, shrugged off a challenge from his former deputy Larry Mavhima, a prodigy of Zanu PF Midlands strongman and Justice minister Emmerson Mnangagwa, in elections that were marred by allegations of rigging, vote-buying, fraud and confusion.
Machaya, who is also the Provincial Affairs minister, polled 13 883 against Mavhima’s 13 280.
Despite winning the bruising contest, Machaya alleged in a 10-page document that Auxilia — Mnangagwa’s wife — Tapfumanei and Ncube were involved in a large scam which resulted in them stealing the vote in Gokwe Kana, Zvishavane-Ngezi, Chirumanzu and Zhombe.
Machaya is demanding that they be punished.
“These central committee members Tapfumanei, Mnangagwa, Ncube (must) be brought before a disciplinary committee and measures taken because they lied,” reads part of the document.
The dossier penned by Machaya’s chief election agent Douglas Kanemgoni and addressed to Zanu PF’s Midlands chief elections officer Olivia Muchena, alleges massive rigging by the three citing doctored voters’ rolls, compromised polling officers and shambolic logistical operations in the polls.
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“The three on October 25 and 26 held inter-district meetings where they told people that Machaya had been disqualified to stand in the elections because he had completed his two terms and anyone who would vote for him would be violating the Zanu PF constitution,” wrote Kanemgoni.
He stated that the move was an abuse of office and soiled the character of Machaya in the eyes of party supporters who now feel he violated the constitution.
“It is my considered view that the honourable members of the central committee mentioned above lied with (a) clear intention to influence the electorate not to vote for Machaya, hence prejudicing the candidate,” reads the document.
He also accused Gokwe-Kana MP Owen Ncube, another close Mnangagwa ally, of illegally presiding over elections in his constituency and taking ballot boxes to count them at his company’s premises before announcing his own results.
“Ballot papers were supposed to be counted in the presence of election agents, but this was never followed, for example, in Gokwe-Kana where the local MP illegally presided over the elections and papers were never counted at the polling station and our agents never signed the results,” Kanemgoni alleges.
He further alleges that Mackenzie Ncube is a criminal who should be arrested because he doctored the Gokwe Kabuyuni results saying Machaya got 1 135 votes instead of 1 565.
Machaya’s camp wants results in areas they believe rigging took place to be nullified or alternatively registers used in the elections to be presented for an audit.
“That district registers be provided for inspection from Gokwe Kana, Zvishavane-Ngezi, Chirumanzu and Zhombe in the absence of which results must be nullified,” Kanemgoni wrote.
On the other hand, Mavhima also made counter allegations of fraud describing the election outcome as “rigged and contaminated”.
Mavhima said he had also filed a petition with Muchena contesting the validity of the results, which he wants nullified and fresh elections called.
“I believe the results were rigged,” said Mavhima. “It is my democratic right that I contest such an outcome which was contaminated.
“I have been leading Machaya all the way and there is no way the remaining constituency, Shurugwi North, could have suddenly changed the results,” Mavhima added.
He said the party should urgently look into the matter and call for fresh polls that should be monitored by people from outside the province.
However, Muchena has endorsed the elections as peaceful, fair and a reflection of the Zanu PF members’ will.
