Over 120 arrested for election-related crimes

Police have arrested more than 120 people countrywide for committing various election-related offences including stealing voters' rolls and illegally entering the country for purposes of causing mayhem.

Addressing journalists in Harare yesterday police spokesperson Senior Assistant Commissioner Charity Charamba said 40 cross border buses from South Africa suddenly arrived at South Africa border post yesterday (today) with 111 alleged border jumpers.

"A security check of the buses resulted in a total of 111 people being arrested for border jumping, they had no passports and any travel documents on them. Police are still verifying whether they are Zimbabweans or not. Eleven bus crew members were arrested for contravening section 36 (c) of the Immigration Act Chapter 4:02"Assisting Border Jumping".

"These accused persons will appear in court tomorrow. It is suspected that these border jumpers who are coming from South Africa without travel documents do not intend to cast their votes but cause chaos and pandemonium for reasons best known to their organisers," she said.

Snr Assist Com Charamba said MDC-T Budiriro Constituency chief elections agent Anna Bvute was arrested for stealing a voters' roll and giving it to Philip Mabika and MDC-T election agent for that constituency.

In Harare West Constituency election agent Cosmas Kamba was arrested after he was found in possession of SV11 forms which are used in collating results. Only the presiding officer is supposed to be in possession of these forms.

Similar cases were reported in Masvingo where three people were arrested as well as in Manicaland where one person was arrested.

"In all the cases MDC-T election agents have been found in possession of these SV11 forms.

"The MDC-T election agent arrested in Harare said that he was given these forms by MDC-T council candidate for Ward 16, Harare West Constituency, Lancelot Mudavanhu.

"Upon being questioned Lancelot Mudavanhu implicated Jessie Majome an aspiring MDC-T House of Assembly candidate for Harare West

On intervention of a legal practitioner a Mr Kwaramba (Charles) of Mbidzo, Muchadehama and Makoni he changed the story in an obvious bid to protect Jessie Majome, to say these forms were issued at Harvest House.

ZEC uses the forms to collate poll results.

Three MDC-T officials were also arrested in Chiredzi after being found in possession of the same election materials.

"No wonder why the MDC-T leader Morgan Richard Tsvangirai, during the election campaign indicated that he was going to announce the results himself, as he has been singing the rigging tune. Contrary to his utterances, indications and evidence seem to suggest that it is MDC – T that is intending to rig elections," she said.

Snr Assist Comm Charamba said no political party was authorised to possess the documents in question.

She said MDC-T candidate for Ward 46 Mabvuku-Tafara constituency Simbarashe Franscisco Zhuwao was causing chaos at Tafara Community Hall polling station after arriving in his Toyota Chaser.

He allegedly demanded to vote first and people who were in the queue could not allow him to do so and he put on his car radio and started to sing MDC-T campaign jingles contravening Section 147 (1) of the Electoral Act Chapter 2;13 which criminalises campaigning at a polling station.

When police tried to arrest him he started his car intending to speed off and in the process he ran over two voters injuring them and committing attempted murder.

She said police also arrested Joseph Sindivawu (55) for stealing a bag containing US$1 500 from an Ethiopian observer at a Nandos Food outlet on July 27. Only US$120 was recovered.

Snr Assist Com Charamba also denied reports that ZEC had been militarised. She urged Zimbabweans to continue voting in peace warning all individuals harbouring intentions of disturbing the electoral process that police were on alert.