Zimbabwe Election: 13:30 CCC update

Good afternoon. In the past few hours, CCC presidential candidate Nelson Chamisa cast his vote at Kuwadzana primary school in Harare.

Meanwhile, I gave an update to the press on voting irregularities, and how we are working with ZEC to address these issues, including the omission of our candidates from ballot papers in Marondera and Bulawayo.

Turnout is very very high, with voters persevering through late polling station openings and ballot issues to cast their votes.

The CCC has also successfully deployed its polling agents at stations across the country, helping us to ensure these elections are as fair and transparent as possible.

INTERNET SHUTDOWNS

Following last night's report by Netblocks of a throttling of internet connectivity across major networks in Zimbabwe, agents on the ground confirm that the internet is running at a snail's pace. Reports from Bulawayo, Harare, Masvingo and Mutare all corroborate a major reduction in connectivity speed, which will not only impact citizens

going to vote but also hamper the efforts of elections observer missions.

It is worth reaffirming that the CCC's PVT system is capable of functioning via SMS and that agents have been instructed to hold on to pictures of V11 forms in case of an internet shutdown.

MORE BUNGLES FROM ZEC

There is more to add to the list of ZEC's mismanagement of Election Day. There are reports of misprints of ballot papers that show pictures of ZANU-PF candidates on CCC rolls. Our candidates have been omitted completely from some ballot papers.

Issues with the voters' roll, which have been plaguing the run-up to this election for months, continue. For some polling stations, the roll has not been posted visibly. This means voters can wait for hours in queues only to discover they are unable to vote at that station. There are reports of households split and deliberately registered to different stations.

And the very worrying problem noted in the previous monitor regarding lack of ballot papers and late openings of polling stations continues. We have reports of several polling stations - particularly in Harare and Bulawayo - still to open five hours after voting was meant to commence.

Fabio Castaldo, Head of the EU's Election Observation Mission, acknowledged this problem, telling reporters his team had observed significant opening delays in around 30% of polling stations. Nevers Mumba, head of SADC's Mission, said the delays were a concern.

ZANU PF 'EXIT POLLS'

Reports of ZANU's 'exit polls', stationed outside of polling stations and demanding voters give names and ID numbers, continue throughout the country. This is clear voter intimidation.

Charles Kwaramba
Presidential Chief Elections Agent