News / National
Zanu-PF embarks on door-to-door recruitment
20 Jun 2014 at 10:00hrs | Views
Zanu-PF has embarked on a door-to-door membership recruitment drive in preparation for elections in 2018, a move that has raised suspicion the party may be putting in place its rigging machinery.
Party members have been going from house to house in Harare's high and low-density suburbs asking residents to fill in registration forms which require them to reveal personal details.
The recruitment drive is also taking place in other provinces.
The teams have visited several areas among them Warren Park, Westlea, Kuwadzana and Borrowdale asking residents to fill in forms, which some people have filled in fear.
One of the forms seen by the Zimbabwe Independent requires the subject to provide names, sex, age, voting history including whether s/he is a registered voter or not, and which Zanu-PF ward and district s/he belongs.
Zanu-PF members are required to provide their membership card number.
"Basically, they are collecting that information from all households. Everyone above the age of 18 is encouraged to fill in the forms and even when a person is not at home they leave behind the forms," said a Borrowdale resident.
A Warren Park resident, who filled in a registration slip, said he did so only because he was too scared to refuse. He, however, said he suspected the information could be used for rigging purposes.
"During the inclusive government era, we were forced to fill in an anti-sanctions petition which we were told would end up at the United Nations, but some people suggested that the information would be used to rig elections. And now, they are also demanding personal information which I think can be used for the same purposes," he said.
Zanu-PF spokesperson Rugare Gumbo referred questions to the party's political commissar Webster Shamu, but said he understood that the party was setting up its grassroots structures such as villages, cells and branches.
He said the party was not yet focusing on the 2018 elections.
The Independent though has seen several vehicles inscribed Team Zanu-PF 2018, an indication that the party could have started preparing for the elections.
Efforts to get comment from Shamu were futile as his phone went unanswered.
Party members have been going from house to house in Harare's high and low-density suburbs asking residents to fill in registration forms which require them to reveal personal details.
The recruitment drive is also taking place in other provinces.
The teams have visited several areas among them Warren Park, Westlea, Kuwadzana and Borrowdale asking residents to fill in forms, which some people have filled in fear.
One of the forms seen by the Zimbabwe Independent requires the subject to provide names, sex, age, voting history including whether s/he is a registered voter or not, and which Zanu-PF ward and district s/he belongs.
Zanu-PF members are required to provide their membership card number.
"Basically, they are collecting that information from all households. Everyone above the age of 18 is encouraged to fill in the forms and even when a person is not at home they leave behind the forms," said a Borrowdale resident.
A Warren Park resident, who filled in a registration slip, said he did so only because he was too scared to refuse. He, however, said he suspected the information could be used for rigging purposes.
"During the inclusive government era, we were forced to fill in an anti-sanctions petition which we were told would end up at the United Nations, but some people suggested that the information would be used to rig elections. And now, they are also demanding personal information which I think can be used for the same purposes," he said.
Zanu-PF spokesperson Rugare Gumbo referred questions to the party's political commissar Webster Shamu, but said he understood that the party was setting up its grassroots structures such as villages, cells and branches.
He said the party was not yet focusing on the 2018 elections.
The Independent though has seen several vehicles inscribed Team Zanu-PF 2018, an indication that the party could have started preparing for the elections.
Efforts to get comment from Shamu were futile as his phone went unanswered.
Source - theindependent
