1 zimbabwe election support network [zesn] - Nehanda Radio

allegedly supplying voters with scarce commodities at heavily discounted prices, supplying Net
One cell phone lines for free and payment of school fees to children in contested
constituencies.
Incidents of political intolerance were also reported. For instance, one war veteran leader
Joseph Chinotimba in response to Simba Makoni’s announcement to contest in the presidential
race reportedly said “
We are now going to campaign vigorously for President Mugabe. I feel sorry for Makoni,
ayirasa [he has lost the plot]. From today to the nomination date we will have finished with
them. Mupanduki kana achinge apanduka anoziva zvinoita ZANU PF [loosely translated it
means when an enemy comes out in the open he knows what ZANU PF will do].
While it could not be established whether this was the official ruling party position, it remains
mindboggling how an individual who had exercised his constitutional right to stand for political
office could be regarded as an enemy. Such disturbing inclinations to political intolerance were
also echoed in the Zimbabwe Ex-Political Prisoners, Detainees and Ristrictees’ Association’s
statement where Makoni was denounced as a “sellout” and a “rebel”. Such inclinations were
also reflected from the Herald political reporter Ceasar Zvayi who contemptuously equated
Makoni’s decision to a “loud fart all silently agree never happened” at the same time likening
the MDC leader to a cowardly dog.
Primary Elections
Highly contested and intrigue-ridden primary elections were held for most constituencies in the
country’s ten provinces with both the MDC and ZANU PF generally reflecting inability to
conduct primary elections in a transparent manner. Decisions by the two main political parties
not to conduct primary elections in some constituencies where there were sitting MPs sparked
intra party politics with prospective candidates arguing that their parties were imposing
candidates.
In the MDC T camp clashes erupted when the party decided not to hold primary elections in
constituencies where there were sitting MPs except for Mabvuku-Tafara and Budiriro
constituencies in Harare. Aspiring candidates in these constituencies felt that the move was
undemocratic and registered as independents. The party’s primary election for Mount Pleasant
was abandoned after serious misunderstandings, only to be resolved at the party’s
headquarters. ZANU PF also ruled out primaries in some of its constituencies such as
Chimanimani West and Gutu South while the MDC Mutambara primary elections in Nkayi were
also conducted amid outcries that they were fraught with massive irregularities and allegations
that some senior party members were using nepotism and dictatorship in support of certain
candidates.
Where primaries were conducted, in most cases, aspiring candidates failed to accept primary
election results leading to the nomination of more than one candidate in a number of
constituencies in the MDC T. In ZANU PF, this led to constituencies such as Makoni West,
Masvingo and Masvingo Central fielding two ZANU PF tickets. In the Chivi-Mwenezi senatorial
seat, Josaya Hungwe and Samuel Mumbengegwi locked horns in a re-run after Mumbengegwi
had contested the initial primary election result.
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