Maize deliveries to induce voters for Saturday senate elections

By Tichaona Sibanda
23 November 2005

In one of the most blatant manifestations of political corruption, Zanu (PF) on Wednesday delivered truckloads of maize to all the eight wards of Chipinge North.

Officials have also opened a register at all the polling stations to take note of all the individuals who will visit the stations to cast their vote. It’s alleged these are the only people who will be allowed to buy the maize on Sunday, a day after the senate elections.

The maize consignment, from the local GMB depot is being delivered right inside the perimeters of all the eight polling stations in each ward.
MDC spokesman for Chipinge North Godfrey Nyarota said they last had maize deliveries in the town in March, a week before the parliamentary elections.

The MDC is not fielding any candidate there because it has boycotted the poll. Only Zanu (PF) and Zanu Ndonga have candidates vying for the senatorial seat.

People in the town have struggled for months to buy maize anyway in the area because all the grain was either bought or confiscated by the GMB, which has a monopoly on maize distribution in the district.

Nayrota said without maize people have been starving, while all along Zanu (PF) has been holding on to the scarce commodity.

‘We were all surprised when we saw truckloads of maize being delivered to all the polling stations today (Wednesday). This is a direct case of vote buying,’ said Nyarota.

There is belief in Chipinge North that voter apathy might curtail Zanu (PF)’s chances of winning the senate seat in a traditional Zanu Ndonga stronghold.

This is the reason why the regime is alleged to have resorted to using the distribution of food as inducement to force people out of their homes to go and cast their votes on Saturday.