By A Correspondent| Zanu PF is celebrating a disputed victory in the Chipinge Rural District Council (RDC) Ward 5 by-election, where an unusually high number of voters — over 1,200 out of 2,236 — were assisted to cast their ballots, raising fresh concerns about electoral integrity.

Zimbabwe, often lauded as one of Africa’s most literate nations, has once again found itself under scrutiny as political observers question how so many citizens required assistance to vote — a process typically reserved for the illiterate, disabled, or elderly.

Critics argue that Zanu PF has turned assisted voting into a political tool, allegedly coercing voters into declaring false illiteracy to enable party agents to influence their choices behind the curtain. The ruling party has been accused of exploiting this tactic in previous elections, with little accountability from the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC).

According to a report circulating from election observers, out of the 2,236 votes cast in Ward 5, an alarming 1,279 were assisted. The breakdown of assisted voters per polling station is as follows:

• Kondo Primary School – 193
• Musapingura – 196
• Chipangayi High School – 180
• Nemadzadza Village – 270
• Tongogara – 100
• Stage 3B – 180
• Sabi Valley Primary School – 190

Opposition parties and civil society organisations have condemned the practice, describing it as a form of “institutionalised rigging” that mocks Zimbabwe’s democratic processes.

“This is not a genuine victory,” said one opposition activist who requested anonymity. “When you win through manipulation, it is a celebration of deceit, not democracy.”

Despite these concerns, Zanu PF has been quick to trumpet the win, with senior party officials in Chipinge holding rallies and processions in what they described as a “landslide victory.”

The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission has not yet commented on the unusually high number of assisted voters in this by-election.