ZANU-PF using donated food & threats to sway voters in Murehwa

By Tererai Karimakwenda
20 October 2006

The ruling party is reported to be harassing opposition candidates and suspected supporters in Murehwa district ahead of the rural council elections due next week. A ZANU-PF candidate is also accused of using food donated by USAID and the Catholic Relief Services to sway voters away from the MDC. The reports accuse police of failing to act on violent incidents and allowing ZANU-PF thugs to operate with impunity.

Our Murehwa contact Gamuchirai said vendors at local markets were rounded up by ZANU-PF activists and forced to go to the council boardroom where they were given instructions on how to vote. He explained that they were told to act as though they needed assistance at the polls and allow the officials there to do the writing for them.

Gamuchirai also revealed that the ZANU-PF candidate for ward 7 Murehwa named Ndambakuwa is storing bags of donated food at his girlfriend’s house. Voters are being told they will benefit from this if they make the right choices. Gamu said the bags have the CRS and USAID labels on them. It is not clear how Ndambakuwa got possession of donated food but Gamuchirai said the local people believe these relief agencies have been infiltrated.

The MDC candidate in the same ward 7 is said to be under pressure to withdraw from the council elections. According to Gamuchirai the campaign vehicle he was using was almost attacked by ZANU-PF thugs who approached it threatening to set it on fire. 2 MDC activists who went to the police station to report the incident Friday morning had not returned as of the evening. It is believed the police may have detained them instead. A 3rd witness to the incident said he is now afraid to report to the police because me might be detained until Monday.