News / National
ZPP exposes threats BVR was to be used for witch hunting voters
09 Sep 2018 at 07:24hrs | Views
The Zimbabwe Peace Project (ZPP) has extensively reported on widespread intimidation and harassment used in the run up to the elections.
The organisation said there were threats of using the Biometric Voter Registration (BVR) to sniff out the dissenting, the intricate system of Dande Mutande (Spiderweb), the distribution of food and agricultural inputs which forced people to make their choices with their tummies against humanitarian standards culminating in suspect assisted voting, and the 'paddocking' of villagers to vote in a certain way with the assistance of traditional leaders and other ruling party functionaries.
"Notwithstanding, these reports some of which were reported to the police the impression of the different election observers were varied. Police responded to some of the reports but a good number of citizens still felt unsafe making police reports and continuing to live in the same communities. While the 2018 elections could have many boxes ticked as compared to past polls they still faced numerous challenges that made them short of being free and fair," ZPP said.
"The post election phase was fraught with extreme violence where opposition party supporters mainly those in high density areas reported of attacks by members of the defence forces especially in bars and night spots. The ZNA has denied that they had deployed officers in high density areas but rather labelling the perpetrators 'rogue' elements. The period was also characterised by displacements in both urban and rural areas as political persecution targeting
opposition supporters triggered their fleeing their homes."
ZPP said the period also witnessed the escalation of reports of reprisals against political opponents.
"Zanu PF members and supporters spearheaded reprisals in their party as some individuals were accused of decampaigning the party and sabotaging President Emmerson Mnangagwa. To a lesser extentthere were scuffles as well in the MDC Alliance where those who were suspected of decampaigning Nelson Chamisa were also targeted," ZPP said.
The organisation said there were threats of using the Biometric Voter Registration (BVR) to sniff out the dissenting, the intricate system of Dande Mutande (Spiderweb), the distribution of food and agricultural inputs which forced people to make their choices with their tummies against humanitarian standards culminating in suspect assisted voting, and the 'paddocking' of villagers to vote in a certain way with the assistance of traditional leaders and other ruling party functionaries.
"Notwithstanding, these reports some of which were reported to the police the impression of the different election observers were varied. Police responded to some of the reports but a good number of citizens still felt unsafe making police reports and continuing to live in the same communities. While the 2018 elections could have many boxes ticked as compared to past polls they still faced numerous challenges that made them short of being free and fair," ZPP said.
"The post election phase was fraught with extreme violence where opposition party supporters mainly those in high density areas reported of attacks by members of the defence forces especially in bars and night spots. The ZNA has denied that they had deployed officers in high density areas but rather labelling the perpetrators 'rogue' elements. The period was also characterised by displacements in both urban and rural areas as political persecution targeting
opposition supporters triggered their fleeing their homes."
ZPP said the period also witnessed the escalation of reports of reprisals against political opponents.
"Zanu PF members and supporters spearheaded reprisals in their party as some individuals were accused of decampaigning the party and sabotaging President Emmerson Mnangagwa. To a lesser extentthere were scuffles as well in the MDC Alliance where those who were suspected of decampaigning Nelson Chamisa were also targeted," ZPP said.
Source - Byo24News
