News / National
Zanu-PF intensify BVR serial numbers collection
19 Mar 2018 at 14:08hrs | Views
Farmers from Nyazvidzi Small Scale Farming area and villagers from Chinyika Rural Area in Gutu have over the past few days attended several party meetings where local Zanu-PF leadership demanded BVR serial numbers from registered voters.
Some people who attended the meetings told The Mirror that people at the meetings were told to bring with them their BVR serial numbers and national identity cards and those who didn't would be excluded from food and agricultural inputs handouts.
The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) last week issued a stern warning against those going around collecting BVR serial numbers or visiting individuals' homes for the same purpose. ZEC urged people to report anyone found collecting the numbers so that legal action is taken.
Zanu-PF national chairperson, Opah Muchinguri Kashiri said the party has no such policy and implored the commissariat department to take action on such people.
"As a matter of policy Zanu-PF does not collect any BVR serial numbers and anybody who is doing that is just being mischievous and the commissariat department must take action against those people," she said.
Election Resource Centre director Tawanda Chimhini said the problem of political activists going around collecting BVR serial numbers has become national and he called upon President Mnangagwa to intervene as chances of a free and fair election were diminishing through indirect intimidation and manipulation of voters.
He also called Police and ZEC to immediately act.
Four Zanu-PF officials Paul Garirayi ( branch chairperson); Jeremiah Maruvamba (village chairperson Domborenikiti); Felix Mareva (village chairperson Mauzhe) and Kingston Magaya who is councillor for ward 10 are some of the Zanu-PF officials who allegedly addressed meetings in the last seven days.
They told the farmers that the serial numbers were wanted at the District Administrator's office.
Gutu DA Vafias Hlabati said there was no such thing happening in the district. He said he recently went around and the allegations are false.
Maruvamba and Garirayi addressed a meeting near Domborenikiti Primary School on Thursday last week, Felix Mareva and Kalisto Mazuru addressed a meeting at Mavuzhe on the same day.
On Wednesday (yesterday) the farmers gathered at Chinanaira Business Centre where all the collected BVR serial numbers for Ward 4 were to be submitted.
The Mirror also established that villagers from Ward 10 gathered at Chinyika Business Centre on the same day and they were addressed by their councillor Kingstone Magaya who also called for the submission of all collected BVR serial numbers.
When called on his mobile for a comment Mareva said it was a wrong number but enthusiastically answered when another reporter called and disguised as a relative. He confirmed that he was chairman for Mauzhe and he was busy distributing fertiliser at Mandeya Business Centre at the time that The Mirror called.
Mazuru said he was not aware of such meetings and added that it was only in Harare where voters were being asked for their serial numbers.
Garirayi who did not realise that he was talking to The Mirror confirmed that they were collecting serial numbers but he said that he was a branch chairperson and the numbers were being given to village chairperson Maruvamba.
He then forwarded Maruvamba's number to The Mirror.
Maruvamba's number rang but the phone was soon switched off.
Magaya said he did not collect any serial numbers at the Wednesday meeting but confirmed that the village chairpersons did. He said he was going to a meeting in Masvingo today (Thursday) where the matter would be discussed.
"I did not get any serial numbers yesterday. The serial numbers are with village chairpersons. By the way who am I talking to?," asked Magaya.
"We have received several reports of people moving around collecting serial numbers of voter registration slips from registered voters countrywide. Following such reports, we would like to notify all Zimbabweans that it is an offence for anyone to collect/record voter registration slips serial numbers," read the warning from ZEC.
Some people who attended the meetings told The Mirror that people at the meetings were told to bring with them their BVR serial numbers and national identity cards and those who didn't would be excluded from food and agricultural inputs handouts.
The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) last week issued a stern warning against those going around collecting BVR serial numbers or visiting individuals' homes for the same purpose. ZEC urged people to report anyone found collecting the numbers so that legal action is taken.
Zanu-PF national chairperson, Opah Muchinguri Kashiri said the party has no such policy and implored the commissariat department to take action on such people.
"As a matter of policy Zanu-PF does not collect any BVR serial numbers and anybody who is doing that is just being mischievous and the commissariat department must take action against those people," she said.
Election Resource Centre director Tawanda Chimhini said the problem of political activists going around collecting BVR serial numbers has become national and he called upon President Mnangagwa to intervene as chances of a free and fair election were diminishing through indirect intimidation and manipulation of voters.
He also called Police and ZEC to immediately act.
Four Zanu-PF officials Paul Garirayi ( branch chairperson); Jeremiah Maruvamba (village chairperson Domborenikiti); Felix Mareva (village chairperson Mauzhe) and Kingston Magaya who is councillor for ward 10 are some of the Zanu-PF officials who allegedly addressed meetings in the last seven days.
They told the farmers that the serial numbers were wanted at the District Administrator's office.
Gutu DA Vafias Hlabati said there was no such thing happening in the district. He said he recently went around and the allegations are false.
Maruvamba and Garirayi addressed a meeting near Domborenikiti Primary School on Thursday last week, Felix Mareva and Kalisto Mazuru addressed a meeting at Mavuzhe on the same day.
On Wednesday (yesterday) the farmers gathered at Chinanaira Business Centre where all the collected BVR serial numbers for Ward 4 were to be submitted.
The Mirror also established that villagers from Ward 10 gathered at Chinyika Business Centre on the same day and they were addressed by their councillor Kingstone Magaya who also called for the submission of all collected BVR serial numbers.
When called on his mobile for a comment Mareva said it was a wrong number but enthusiastically answered when another reporter called and disguised as a relative. He confirmed that he was chairman for Mauzhe and he was busy distributing fertiliser at Mandeya Business Centre at the time that The Mirror called.
Mazuru said he was not aware of such meetings and added that it was only in Harare where voters were being asked for their serial numbers.
Garirayi who did not realise that he was talking to The Mirror confirmed that they were collecting serial numbers but he said that he was a branch chairperson and the numbers were being given to village chairperson Maruvamba.
He then forwarded Maruvamba's number to The Mirror.
Maruvamba's number rang but the phone was soon switched off.
Magaya said he did not collect any serial numbers at the Wednesday meeting but confirmed that the village chairpersons did. He said he was going to a meeting in Masvingo today (Thursday) where the matter would be discussed.
"I did not get any serial numbers yesterday. The serial numbers are with village chairpersons. By the way who am I talking to?," asked Magaya.
"We have received several reports of people moving around collecting serial numbers of voter registration slips from registered voters countrywide. Following such reports, we would like to notify all Zimbabweans that it is an offence for anyone to collect/record voter registration slips serial numbers," read the warning from ZEC.
Source - the mirror
