By A Correspondent

In what critics are calling a vote-buying ploy, the ruling Zanu PF party is set to distribute 30 tonnes of wheat to villagers in Gutu East just days before the crucial June 14 by-election.

The move has raised eyebrows across the political spectrum, with opposition figures and civil society organisations accusing Zanu PF of using state resources to sway votes in its favour.

Independent candidate Gift Gonese has strongly condemned the wheat distribution, calling it “a textbook case of electoral bribery.”

“This is not aid. It’s a bribe dressed up as development,” Gonese said in an interview Tuesday.

“Where was the wheat all along? Why does it only appear on the eve of an election?”

According to a Zanu PF official who spoke at a local gathering over the weekend, the ruling party intends to roll out not just food but also several projects to boost its image in the constituency.

“We will soon distribute wheat to villagers and above all, we have a lot of projects that have been lined up in the constituency,” the official said.

However, community members say there is an unspoken condition to the aid.

“They are telling people that if they don’t vote Zanu PF, this food will stop coming,” said a villager from Ward 8 who declined to be named. “It’s not charity. It’s a threat.”

Local observers argue that this strategy of “material persuasion” is not new but part of a well-oiled machine that exploits poverty and food insecurity for political gain.

“This is how they win rural elections,” said a Gutu-based civil rights activist. “People are desperate. If you give them food and hint it’s tied to their vote, they’ll comply—out of survival, not loyalty.”

Legal experts also question the ethics and legality of such last-minute distributions.

“It amounts to indirect vote buying,” said Harare-based lawyer Tapiwa Munemo. “The Electoral Act is clear about undue influence. The timing and scale of the wheat handout should trigger an investigation by ZEC and other electoral watchdogs.”

So far, there has been no comment from the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) on the wheat distribution. The Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP), often accused of bias, has also remained silent on the matter.

With tensions rising ahead of polling day, Gonese has urged voters to see beyond the food and focus on lasting change.
“We’re not offering wheat—we’re offering a better future,” he said.