Concerns over Kadoma mayoral elections
By Tichaona Sibanda
11 October 2006

There are allegations that hundreds of people from outlying areas of Kadoma are being registered to take part in the forthcoming mayoral elections.

Only those who live within the town’s boundaries are eligible to vote but it emerged Wednesday that Zanu (PF) activists under Kadoma’s rural district council boundaries are being registered to vote on 28th October.

Incumbent Mayor Fani Phiri of Zanu (PF) is seeking re-election and will battle it out with MDC candidate Jonas Ndenda from the Morgan Tsvangirai camp. Ndenda is a former employee of Kadoma municipality.

A source told us other people within the boundaries are being invited to register their names with the local Zanu (PF) offices so they could be allocated farming plots in areas surrounding the town.

Already there are significant incidents of violence and intimidation in the town. On Monday several people were injured when soldiers from the nearby Suri-Suri defence forces base attacked innocent civilians in retaliation for an attack on a soldier.

The source added that the pre-election period is already characterised by arbitrary arrests of MDC officials and the bussing in of hundreds of Zanu (PF) activists to Kadoma to register for the poll.

‘It’s the same old trick that Zanu (PF) is using again. They always bus in people from the rural areas to come and vote. At least the MDC needs to guard against this and do something now before its too late,’ said the source.