Paul Nyathi
Antiriot police had to be called in to disperse thousands of ZANU PF members who clashed with each other at the party’s primary elections in Kwekwe.
Violence broke out at the party’ district offices in Kwekwe following demonstrations against corruption and bribery allegations leveled against the election presiding team led by one Rtd Col Dr Kahuni and party’ provincial vice chairperson, Robert Nyathi according to The Midlands News.
Several vehicles parked inside the district HQ yard were damaged during the disturbances with one unnamed police officer and several party supporters reportedly injured.
The demonstration ensued soon after the Kwekwe Central Constituency structures rejected the use of ZEC’ voters roll in Sunday’ party primary elections with many accusing National Commissar, Victor Matemedanda and the election presiding team of corruption after he ordered the use of 2018 elections voters roll which many say favoured Kandros Mugabe the party’ 2018 losing Kwekwe Central parliamentary candidate.
Party supporters were demanding the use of cell registers only, while Rtd Col Kahuni and his presiding team refused to badge to the demands leading to the demonstration.
Police were seen firing live rounds and throwing tear-gas canisters at demonstrators before they were overpowered by angry party supporters.
Matemedanda directed the party leadership throughout the country where by elections are scheduled to use the 2018 elections voters roll to avoid busing in of voters , much to the dismay of party supporters.
“We are aware that the temptation to bus in people from outside the constituency is a high possibility and we are keen and committed to ensuring that the primary by-election reflects the will of the people”, read the memo.
According to reports from Kwekwe many party members claimed that they were not in the voters roll despite having voted in Kwekwe Central Constituency in the 2018 elections.
This is the first time that ZanuPF has used ZEC’ voters roll during its primary elections.
ZanuPF provincial chairperson, Engineer Daniel Mckenzie Ncube admitted that the election could not take off after the party was forced to abandon the process due to a number of challenges chief among them the sharmbolic 2018 elections voters roll.
“I can confirm that we have called off the Kwekwe primary election until further notice.
“The election faced a lot of challenges and one of them was the use of 2018 elections voters roll. It came to our attention that a lot of party members who voted in 2018, were found not to be on the same voters roll. The same was with party cell registers and this forced us to cancel the election”, said Ncube.
26 year old Energy Ncube popularly known as Dalla was contesting against 47 year old Mugabe a church Bishop.
The Kwekwe Central Constituency was left vacant following the death of NPF party sponsored MP, Masango ‘Blackman’ Matambanadzo who died this year of suspected food poisoning.