Missing Kadoma ballot boxes found

By Tererai Karimakwenda
26 August 2005

4 ballot boxes from Kadoma West Constituency missing from the High Court Thursday were found underneath other boxes on Friday. The boxes are part of the election materials being verified in the case where the MDC is challenging ZANU-PF's victory in the 2002 presidential election. The missing material was found buried under boxes from Bulawayo and Mpopoma.

Our Harare correspondent Simon Muchemwa said the lawyers had agreed to continue with verifying the 13 boxes from Kadoma West that were available, while searching for the other 4. The MDC provided the extra manpower and the boxes were found before lunch.

Muchemwa says the materials appear to have been thrown into storage carelessly and this is worrying in a case as important as this presidential election challenge. There is also speculation that the boxes may have been delivered overnight or that they are being tampered with.