Election network says senate elections have already been rigged

By Tichaona Sibanda
21 October 2005

Dr Reginald Matshaba-Hove, chairman of the Zimbabwe Election Support Network, said Zanu (PF) has already rigged the upcoming senate poll, making any MDC participation meaningless.

‘Anyone contesting elections against Zanu (PF) will not break the balance of power in terms of representation.Besides the President nominating 10 chiefs and six others to make it 16, they have also neutralised all MDC strongholds by combining them with strong Zanu (PF) constituencies.’

There are 5 senate seats in each province. In the two Matebeleland provinces, Dr Matshaba-Hove gave an example of Hwange West (MDC) and Tsholotsho (Independent) being combined into one constituency. Two other MDC constituencies Nkayi and Lupane were combined into one. Surprisingly Bubi-Mguza constituency in the same province was left intact because it voted Zanu (PF).

In Matebeleland South, the Beitbridge constituency has also been left intact because it belongs to Zanu (PF). Whereas the Masvingo central constituency, which was won by a small margin by the MDC has been combined with two rural Zanu (PF) constituencies, both won by an overwhelming majority.

He also said, ‘the same applies in the Midlands and other provinces outside Matebeleleland. The whole process smacks of chicanery.’

He discredited the whole process saying unlike the lower house (Parliament) where the delimitation commission at least ‘pretended to sit down and work out constituencies’ there were no procedures followed in demarcating boundaries for the senate poll.

According to Dr Matshaba-Hove, ‘Patrick Chinamasa simply came up with the amalgamation of various constituencies…quite often three constituencies combined into one. More often than not urban constituencies were diluted by rural constituencies.’