Top Bulawayo Industrialist and United Refineries chief executive officer Mr Busisa Moyo has defended the continued use of the bond note, saying the surrogate currency has never been a problem for business.

Commenting on suggestions on the removal of the currency, Moyo said the bond note has in fact helped businesses “in terms of change, divisibility and other medium of exchange functions.”

Moyo said: “The total is $300m. Our real problem is the Real Time Gross Settlement (RTGS) totalling $8 billion. This one you can’t say “let’s remove RTGS” its savings.”

“Our companies need the bond chief. Before the bond coin, business was a nightmare. Our soaps and cooking oil were affected by this. What has helped is plastic money but it doesn’t cover the whole population. On small commodities name one shop that doesn’t accept bond notes,” he added.

The former Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries president said removing the bond note will create further medium of exchange problems.

“It (bond note removal) only removes a perception created by ourselves and the confidence created by this removal will be short lived because our ability to buy & sell daily will become more difficult,” he added.

Moyo also said that it is the RTGS money, and not the bond notes, that have driven out the United States Dollar.

“The bond note was brought in to plug the money that had already been driven out. My point is the $8 billion is the problem not the $300 million hard notes and coins,” he explained.

Moyo suggested that reduced Government expenditure was the answer so that it does not fuel RTGS balances. He also believes localising and increasing productivity in the productive sectors through friendly policies for exporters, lowering upfront taxation on business, resolving the national debt and Foreign Direct Investment will go a long way in arresting cash shortages.

Moyo also suggested that adopting the South African rand was the right step in addressing the imbalances.

“I am a proponent of an African Currency in the future and the rand is a logical step. We can adopt without being in the Rand Monetary Union (RMU) for now, plan to join the RMU say in 6-8 years & then push for a broader regional currency to complement African Continental Free Trade Agreement (afCTFTA),” he said.

However, Reserve Bank Governor Dr John Mangudya has ruled out the adoption of the South African rand as foremost medium of exchange to ease obtaining cash shortages, saying Zimbabwe is not a member of the South African Rand Union, which also has Lesotho, Swaziland and Namibia.

Dr Mangudya also said the rand cannot be a major currency because it is already in the multi-currency basket introduced in 2009.

Moyo’s calls for the Bond Notes to remain in circulation follow opposition MDC Alliance’s promises that they will get rid of the currency immediately on coming into power if they win the elections coming in seven days.

A teacher ran amok, attempted to kill his wife and two children, before attacking other teachers during a misunderstanding over transfer issues at a school in Binga.
The teacher allegedly crashed his Toyota Wish vehicle several times into cottage walls at Siansali Primary School in Binga District where his wife works and destroyed verandas before setting the car alight in a fit of rage.

Ishewunesu Makota (31), a teacher at Siyawagadza Primary School, Mwambani area in Gokwe District, went into a frenzy over why his wife, Raviro Nduru (26), was not transferring to a school closer to him.

The couple originally comes from Gutu in Masvingo Province. The incident occurred on Thursday at around 10PM and the suspect was arrested and is in custody at Binga Police Station.
Makota allegedly claimed to regret his wild actions saying he was drunk Chief Siansali yesterday said Makota surrendered himself to the police.

He said Makota arrived at the school in the evening and engaged in a heated argument with his wife, demanding to know why she was not transferring to a school closer to him where she had been offered a place.
“Nduru has failed get a provincial transfer for a while now, but got a place at a school in Binga closer to where her husband teaches. Binga Education District Office has however, not yet cleared her to transfer. This did not go down well with Makota resulting in him attacking his wife.

“He chased after his wife and children with a kitchen knife, vowing to stab them to death. After the woman managed to disappear into darkness, heading to a villager’s home to seek refuge, Makota turned onto the other staff members.

“He attacked two female teachers and chased after them. He kicked and punched them, injuring one of them who was rushed to Binga District Hospital where she is receiving treatment,” said the chief.

He said Makota went on to vandalise school property and cottage verandas as he drove his car repeatedly into cottage walls.

“Speeding like a man possessed, he terrified teachers by crashing into cottage walls but because they are stronger, his vehicle got extensively damaged.

“He got out of the car and set it on fire. The vehicle was completely destroyed,” said the chief.
Chief Siansali said it is alleged that the couple was constantly in disputes and the man accused his wife of not wanting to transfer for undisclosed reasons.

He urged members of the public to desist from violence and rather engage third parties for resolution of disputes.

“People should learn to manage anger and not act on emotions. Couples should understand it is not easy to transfer from one place to the other due to varying reasons. I also appeal to the Government to ensure swift transfer of civil servants to allow couples to stay together to avoid such unnecessary squabbles.”

Binga District Schools Inspector Mr Edson Masungo said he had not yet received the report.

“I haven’t received a report of such shocking news. Let me find out right away and I will get back to you,” he said. – state media

A COMMANDO in the Zimbabwe National Army heroically dodged a bullet before disarming and manhandling an armed robbery suspect who, alongside two accomplices, had broken into his home in Magwegwe North suburb of Bulawayo.

Nqobile Dube (35)’s partners in crime fled and left him at the mercy of the lone soldier, Mr Douglas Musengi (26), on Saturday at around 3 AM.
Dube fired a bullet point blank at the soldier from a pistol but missed after Mr Musengi (rank not supplied) used his Special Forces training to dodge it.

A mob, roused by the commotion, meted out instant justice on the hapless robbery suspect.
Dube was admitted to Mpilo Central Hospital after residents vented their anger for numerous break-ins in the suburb, on him.

He was discharged yesterday with a plaster on one hand and bandages to cover numerous bruises on his face. His accomplices got away with Mr Musengi’s 42 inch Samsung television set.

Police yesterday reportedly arrested another suspect identified as Zvinai Nyamandishe while another, Witness Hlongwane, is still at large.
Mr Musengi, who is stationed at Cranborne Barracks in Harare and was in Bulawayo to visit his family, told The Chronicle yesterday that he escaped death by employing skills that he acquired from the special forces training.

“I was awakened by the sound of my bedroom door being opened. I saw a man with a balaclava on his face and a yellow dust cloth covering his mouth,” said the diminutive soldier.
He said Dube realised he was awake and fled.

“I rushed after him in my shorts and woke my younger brother who was sleeping on a sofa in the lounge. Dube scaled a perimeter wall into the house next door. I went after him in a flash because the Heliborne Unit specialises in obstacle training. It is then that I saw Dube had company,” Mr Musengi said.

“The other two shouted at Dube to kill me but they fled in a different direction as I closed in.”
He said Dube pulled out a Star Pistol and took aim at him.

“I saw the glint of the gun and realised it was pointed in my direction. A few metres separated us. I feigned to the left and moved right at the last moment.

He fired and missed. Before he could pull the trigger again, I was on him and I wrestled the gun from his hand,” said Mr Musengi.

He said his younger brother, Takaindisa, arrived at the scene and they tied Dube up.
“Residents came out of their houses and I went to call the police. I’m hearing from you that Dube was assaulted. I don’t know who did it,” Mr Musengi said.

“I think those who assaulted Dube were doing it as revenge for their stolen property. These robbers have been a nuisance in the community and I think people were now venting out their frustration on him.
“I thought the gun was loaded with blanks so I was surprised to see it had live rounds when the police arrived.”

A neighbour who asked not to be named said the robbers stole the TV first and Mr Musengi interrupted them when they were returning to the house to steal more property.
“He is a brave man who could have helped to solve numerous break-ins in the area in recent months. Imagine rushing at a gunman like that. It shows the training they undergo at the army barracks is special,” said the neighbour.

Dube and Nyamandishe are expected to appear in court soon.- state media

Tweets by edhasmyvote

Afrobarometer Report|For the first time in a generation, Zimbabweans will vote in presidential, parliamentary, and local government elections on July 30, 2018 without the name of Robert Mugabe at the top of the ballot. Instead, the race for the presidency – the top prize in Zimbabwean politics – will pit Mugabe’s long-time collaborator, Emmerson Mnangagwa of the Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF), against newcomer Nelson Chamisa, who, with the death of Morgan Tsvangirai in February 2018, inherited the leadership of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC-T Chamisa and MDC Alliance).

At least on the surface, the 2018 election is unfolding in a somewhat more open political atmosphere than the country’s previous contests, which were often marred by violent intimidation and disputed results. The opposition has been permitted to campaign throughout the country, and access to the election proceedings has been granted to a wide spectrum of international observers. But undercurrents of concern remain about the independence of the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission, the illicit distribution of public largesse by the ruling party, and the unknown intentions of the security forces, which in the past have repeatedly shored up ZANU-PF against any loss of political power.

Against this backdrop, Zimbabwean voters wonder whether 2018 will break the mold of past elections by ushering in the country’s first-ever alternation of presidential leadership. Certainly the electorate longs for a leader who can bring an end to four decades of economic mismanagement and rising poverty. In response, both Mnangagwa and Chamisa are campaigning on messages of economic reform and job creation. But a skeptical citizenry has every reason to question the sincerity and feasibility of politicians’ easy promises and, in the absence of unbiased information from a polarized and partisan press, to wonder which political party is actually ahead in the quest to occupy the top offices of state.

This dispatch reports results from a survey of public opinion on the status of the electoral race conducted one month before the day of voting with a representative sample of 2,400 voting-age adults drawn from all 10 provinces of Zimbabwe. The survey was commissioned by the Institute for Justice and Reconciliation, Afrobarometer’s core partner in Southern Africa, and implemented by the Mass Public Opinion Institute, Afrobarometer’s national partner in Zimbabwe.

National Constitutional Assembly (NCA) presidential candidate, Professor Lovemore Madhuku has dismissed as baseless suggestions that ballots cast in favour of a particular candidate can shift positions to another as part of a ploy to rig elections.

Addressing mainly pensioners whom he is providing free legal representation, Professor Madhuku said there is no magic or scientific chemical used to move ballots once they are cast.

His sentiments come in the wake of social media talk suggesting that there is a formula of rigging where a chemical solution on the ballot moves a mark from a voter’s preferred candidate to another.

To this end, he urged the electorate to go and vote on 30 July and appealed for them to also consider him as one of the presidential candidates even if his chances of winning are highly slim.

Professor Madhuku said the election is not only a race between Zanu PF and the MDC Alliance but a democratic process where even the minority parties have a claim of the stake and a voice to be heard.

He urged the electorate to resist the temptation of getting divided over political figures and commended President Emmerson Mnangagwa for preaching the gospel of peace.

Meanwhile, the NCA has pledged to work towards improving the social conditions of the worker and offer better payouts for pensioners.

Zbc News

THE Dr Thokozani Khupe led MDC-T says it is financially incapacitated to take care of the needs of polling agents ahead of the watershed elections and they are taking legal action against Mr Nelson Chamisa’s MDC demanding $1 million from the money they received under the Political Parties (Finance) Act.

The party was awarded about $1,9 million before the split and the MDC-T said they did not get part of the amount after they split and eventually won the right to use the name MDC-T in the battle for legitimacy that ensued.
Treasury availed a total of US$9 million to Zanu-PF and MDC-T but the latter did not get the funding after the split that followed the death of MDC founder president Morgan Tsvangirai. Dr Khupe said they have written to the Ministry of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs to register their complaint.

“We have not received any money from the $1,9 million that was disbursed, not even a single cent. We wrote to the Ministry of Justice informing them of our position. We need our money for campaigning and they are mum on the issue,” she said.

Dr Khupe said they have started legal proceedings to pursue the matter with the Government.

“We have decided to take the legal route, we are engaging our lawyers with our VP (Obert) Gutu over the matter but the truth is we are in sixes and sevens over the issue, we are hoping that a miracle happens and we get this funding as soon as possible,” she said.

Dr Khupe said the $1 million that they were demanding was meant for voter education and deployment of polling agents.

State mefia

Former Finance minister Ignatius Chombo, who is facing a plethora of criminal cases involving corruption, fraud and criminal nuisance, has been granted temporary reprieve after the High Court granted an order for an indefinite stay of his prosecution.

Justice Charles Hungwe’s order came after Chombo had filed an urgent application seeking permanent stay of his trial, citing infringement of his constitutional rights.

“The criminal prosecution of the applicant (Chombo) be and is hereby postponed sine die until the determination of HC6515/18,” reads part of the ruling.

Chombo, who was represented by Lovemore Madhuku when he appeared before Harare provincial magistrate Lazini Ncube, had successfully applied for the postponement of the case to August 2 pending the High Court determination on his urgent application.

In the High Court matter, Chombo said he wanted the court to determine whether or not the state, during his arrest, did not violate his constitutional rights when he was allegedly abducted by its agents, blind-folded for nine days and subjected to torture and other forms of inhumane and degrading treatment.

Chombo said his lawyer had written to the prosecutor-general, Ray Goba, advising him of the need to postpone the trial.

However, Goba had insisted that the trial should proceed despite the pending High Court application.

“The attitude of the State and National Prosecution Authority is grossly unreasonable and it undermines the rule of law,” Madhuku argued.

“Proceeding with the criminal prosecution before a determination renders the latter academic.

“Why should an applicant be taken through a criminal prosecution that may be declared void?

“Chombo has more than a prima facie right. Serious violations of his constitutional rights can be remedied by a permanent stay of prosecution.”

In his application, the former minister had said: “I should not go through a criminal prosecution I believe is unconstitutional before my application challenging the constitutionality of the criminal prosecution has been determined.

“HC6515/18 must be determined first. I believe this is the only way in which my constitutional rights can be protected.”

Chombo claimed that he was tortured by the army when he was arrested on the night former president Robert Mugabe was put under house arrest by the military in November last year.

The Standard

PLEASE SPARE 2 SECONDS TO REVIEW US

PLEASE SPARE 2 SECONDS TO REVIEW US

– REFRESH THIS PAGE TO WATCH –

PLEASE SPARE 2 SECONDS TO REVIEW US

PLEASE SPARE 2 SECONDS TO REVIEW US

PLEASE SPARE 2 SECONDS TO REVIEW US
https://www.facebook.com/pg/ZimEye/reviews/

PLEASE SPARE 2 SECONDS TO REVIEW US
https://www.facebook.com/pg/ZimEye/reviews/

PRESIDENT Emmerson Mnangagwa on Thursday reportedly chickened out of a church-organised presidential candidates’ indaba, which could have brought him within spitting distance of his closest challenger MDC Alliance presidential candidate Nelson Chamisa ahead of the month-end polls.

The high-profile meeting had been organised by the Catholic Church-run Silveira House to enable the 23 presidential contestants in this year’s elections to interact as part of efforts to foster multi-party democracy in the country.

Both protagonists had, according to the organisers, initially confirmed attendance to the interface in Harare before making an 11th hour volte face citing “pressing commitments”.

The meeting eventually attracted a handful of presidential aspirants, among them People’s Rainbow Coalition candidate Joice Mujuru who left in a huff and without speaking, Coalition of Democrats’ Elton Mangoma, Nkosana Moyo of the Alliance for People’s Agenda and MDC-T vice-president Obert Gutu.

Mnangagwa’s spokesperson George Charamba yesterday seemed to confirm reports that the Zanu PF leader absconded the gathering to avoid being waylaid into a presidential debate with his rivals.

“We very much support the peace efforts (by the church). In fact, that’s their raison d’etre. (But) where you have them seeking to introduce a presidential debate, then that is beyond the Bible. In our communications strategy, we do not have room for that,” Charamba said.

Spokesperson of the organisers Father Arnold Moyo, without singling out individuals, said candidates who absented themselves gave last-minute excuses. Both Mnangagwa and Chamisa had campaign rallies in Kadoma and Kariba, respectively.

“We sent invitations to all candidates, many of them confirmed but some for various reasons could not come. Some of the reasons highlighted include ‘commitments’ but we are grateful to those who could attend in as far as instilling a sense of multi-party democracy and mutual respect is concerned,” Moyo said.

He added: “The same factors that I have highlighted; commitments that came up. We had hoped that they would send representatives, but that did not happen. We can only invite and hope that they come because we thought this was a very significant event. Initially, there was confirmation.”

But insiders within the Catholic Church said Mnangagwa had told emissaries that he would not attend if Chamisa was part of the gathering.

“Mnangagwa indicated he would not attend if Chamisa was part of the programme. If anything, he was one of a few who never really gave their word that they would come to the event,” NewsDay heard.

Chamisa, who in March this year challenged Mnangagwa for a public television debate ahead of the polls, yesterday said he would have attended had he been formally invited to the meeting .

“No. He was not invited in any formal way. He would certainly have made arrangements. I fear that their invitation may have been lost in the system. It did not reach me,” said Chamisa’s spokesperson Nkululeko Sibanda.

But event organisers insisted that the youthful opposition leader had confirmed, but made a last-minute cancellation on Wednesday night, citing pressing commitments.

“Chamisa confirmed he was coming. He was aware of his rallies and this excuse is only a mirage. The reasons run deeper than this narrative we are being fed,” said a top Catholic priest who declined to be named.

Zimbabwe Catholic Bishops Conference secretary-general Father Fredrick Chiromba was a bit more diplomatic, saying: “Originally, this event was supposed to be held on July 16, people like the MDC Alliance president (Chamisa) said he had cancelled his rallies at the time and later called last night (Wednesday), saying he could not cancel his rallies for a second time. For President Mnangagwa being the leader of the country and a candidate, there is a lot of work.”

He added that as a citizen he was happy with the election preparations so far, adding there was still room for the few sticking points to be resolved through dialogue before the polls.

Zimbabweans troop to the polls on July 30, the first without the country’s founding leader Robert Mugabe who stepped down under pressure from the military, Parliament and ordinary citizens last November.

Chamisa has, however, already raised a red flag, accusing the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec) of creating conditions that seem to favour Mnangagwa and his Zanu PF party.

THREE-TIME Commonwealth boxing champion winner Langton “Schoolboy” Tinago has been declared a provincial hero and will be buried at the Midlands Provincial Heroes’ acre on Sunday.

Tinago succumbed to pneumonia on Tuesday morning.

Addressing mourners in Mambo, Gweru, yesterday, Midlands Provincial Affairs Minister Owen Ncube said President Emmerson Mnangagwa had conferred provincial hero status on Tinago.

“With Tinago being a provincial hero, his family automatically qualifies to get benefits from the government. His children will be taken care of. It is now up to you to choose where you want him to be buried, but the state will make sure all resources needed are available. Whether you bury him at the Provincial Heroes’ Acre or at his rural home, he still remains a hero who fought for the country through sports,” said Ncube.

Boniface Pombi, the Tinago family spokesperson expressed gratitude to the government for the gesture.

“As a family we are very grateful and we feel honoured that our brother has been declared a provincial hero. He is a hero indeed because he raised the country’s flag high through boxing. Tinago will be laid to rest on Sunday at the Provincial Heroes’ Acre in Gweru,” said Pombi.

THE former Deputy Speaker of the Zimbabwe Rhodesia Parliament (1979/1980), Mr Walter Nqabeni Mthimkhulu, has died. He was 78.

Mr Mthimkhulu died in the United Kingdom on July 7 and will be buried on Wednesday next week in that country.

Family spokesperson, Mr Mzana Mthimkhulu, yesterday said a parallel burial service would be held at the Brethren in Christ Church in Bulawayo on the day of his burial. He described him as a family’s pillar of strength.

Mr Mthimkhulu became Speaker during the short-lived UANC government led by Bishop Abel Muzorewa that was in power for a brief period from June 1, 1979 until the country attained its independence on April 18 in 1980.

He relocated to the UK in 1985 and worked for a postal agency from that year until retirement in 2005.

A former NDP and Zapu activist, the former deputy speaker joined the UANC in 1975.

State media

ZANU-PF says Simon Khaya Moyo remains the party’s Secretary for Information and Publicity and the public should disregard an earlier communication stating that the party’s Secretary for Legal Affairs, Paul Mangwana, was now the party’s acting spokesperson.

On Thursday, a party official issued a statement saying Mangwana would be the acting national spokesperson as Khaya-Moyo was preoccupied with campaigning for the Bulilima-Mangwe Senatorial seat.

The party’s Administration Director, Dickson Dzora, who had made the earlier pronouncement, clarified Zanu-PF’s position yesterday saying Khaya-Moyo remains the party’s spokesperson.

“This communication seeks to correct the press statement which I issued yesterday on behalf of the ruling Zanu-PF party in which I inadvertently ascribed the role of party spokesperson to Paul Mangwana in the acting capacity until further notice,” he said.

“The reason I gave was that the party spokesperson Cde Simon Khaya Moyo was unavailable due to the election campaigns currently underway. That was not the case and the miscommunication is regretted. Cde SK Moyo is the Zanu-PF Secretary of Information and Publicity and party spokesperson.”

Dzora said Mangwana would be the party’s point of reference on electoral matters.

“Cde Paul Munyaradzi Mangwana is the party’s Secretary for Legal Affairs and a member of the multi-party liaison committee during the harmonised elections scheduled for 30th July 2018. In that capacity, he is the party’s person on matters relating to the electoral processes and interface with election observers,” he said.

State media

Below are two pictorals showing ZANU PF leader Emmerson Mnangagwa thanking the people of Mutare for attending his rally yesterday.

Mnangagwa’s statement drew the ire of Zimbabweans some who alleged that he forced vendors to attend.

There is a picture of police officers standing while apparently guarding empty vending stalls. PICTURES:

A Polygamous Masvingo man married to two siblings fatally struck his first wife with a log all over the body following a domestic dispute in the presence of her younger sister, police have confirmed.

Nhema Nyamayevhu (36) of Nyamayevhu Village under Chief Nyajena who was married to Molly (33) and Alice Elias (25) bashed the elder sibling and she sustained serious body and head injuries. She died upon admission to Chivi District Hospital.

Nyamayevhu is on the run and the issue that triggered the assault was not immediately revealed. Masvingo police spokesperson Inspector Charity Mazula said the incident occurred on Monday at around 9PM.

She said the deceased’s body was taken to Chivi District Hospital mortuary for post-mortem but the suspect disappeared after committing the crime.

“I can confirm receiving a murder case involving a polygamous man and his first wife. Police have since launched a manhunt,” said Insp Mazula.

Meanwhile, in another incident a Chivi man stabbed his friend in the abdomen with an okapi knife following a misunderstanding over accusations of knocking on villagers’ homesteads at night. He was left with his intestines protruding.
Insp Mazula said on Saturday at around 11PM, Mudyire Gondo (26) of Gonamutenga Village under Chief Shindi near Ngundu in Chivi allegedly stabbed Tafadzwa Gavi (21) of Shongamiti, ripping open his stomach.

“The two men were coming from watching a World Cup match at Shongamiti Business Centre. While going home Gavi accused Gondo of having a tendency of knocking on villagers’ doors at night and this did not go down well with him.

“Gondo then took a knife from his pocket and stabbed his victim in the abdomen leaving intestines protruding before he took to his heels,” she said.

An unnamed neighbour alerted Mr Gavi’s father who rushed to the scene and took his son to Chivi District hospital where he is receiving treatment.

Police said his condition remains critical and the suspect is still at large.

The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec) yesterday met political party leaders or representatives and gave them samples of ballot papers to be used in the July 30 harmonised elections for them to test.

The meeting, dubbed the National Multiparty Liaison Committee meeting, and is convened by Zec to hear concerns from political formations, also heard issues raised by parties.

It also emerged at the meeting that the major parties, Zanu-PF and the MDC Alliance, had narrowed their differences in the run up to the election and pledged to work together   to resolve conflicts under the aegis of the MPLC.

“Zec Commissioner Dr Qhubani Moyo chaired the National Multiparty Liaison Committee meeting at which political parties demanded to be allowed to see where the ballot paper is being kept. They were given samples of the printed ballot paper to ascertain quality and design,” Zec said in a brief statement on its Twitter account @ZECzim.

Zanu-PF legal affairs secretary Munyaradzi Paul Mangwana outlined a number of areas that the parties had discussed.

Said Cde Mangwana: “Today Zanu-PF participated in the Multiparty Liaison Committee Meetings (MPLC) conducted by Zec A number of parties were represented including the MDC-Alliance, which had Mr (Jameson) Timba and Mr (Douglas) Mwonzora as the representatives.”
He confirmed the parties had been given ballot papers to test.

“Zec gave specimens of the actual ballot papers to parties so those who want to test for magic or unexplained vote mutations or migrations can do so. It was noted that they had been given the blank ballots in the past for further testing,” said Cde Mangwana.

“There was no objection to the configuration of the ballot itself but it was also noted that a party not taking part in the elections, called PDP (People’s Democratic Party), had made a court application challenging the current candidate configuration in the Presidential Elections ballot paper design.

“Zanu-PF expressed its recognition of Zec’s responsibility to print, store and distribute the ballots and leaves it to Zec to decide if it would allow the request of a few other parties to escort the distribution cars as well as to guard the provincial warehouses where the ballots are kept,” said Cde Mangwana.
MDC Alliance’s Mr Douglas Mwonzora confirmed that parties were given samples of ballots and agreed on a range of issues.

He told our Harare Bureau last night that the party would subject the papers to tests.
“We are still to vet the ballot papers. The MDC-Alliance also insisted on the ballot papers to be checked batch by batch and all political parties’ stakeholders to monitor their storage until election day,” said Mr Mwonzora.

“They also insisted that all political parties’ stakeholders should accompany the ballot papers to polling stations on elections day,” he said.

According to information from the meeting, some parties requested to test samples of ballots on election day by marking them and see at the end of the election where such guinea ballots would have migrated votes and the commission promised to deliberate and come back to the parties.

Zec did not object to providing parties with samples of indelible ink as requested by some parties.
Zanu-PF registered its objection to the aggressive language used by other parties in threatening to halt a proclaimed election through unconstitutional means.

This is in reference to threats by the opposition MDC Alliance which has said it will disrupt elections if some of its demands are not met.

Political parties also agreed not to distribute food in a partisan manner. The next meeting of MPLC will be on Tuesday next week.- state media