Despite Zanu PF having already approved the full list of candidates to contest in the upcoming harmonised elections, some war veterans in Matobo are unhappy with the outcome of the party’s primary elections held in various wards of the constituency.
They allege the primary elections were rigged in favour of candidates backed by the Forever Association of Zimbabwe (FAZ), a registered private voluntary organisation, whose mandate on registration was to help the needy.
The organisation is reported to be working closely with members of the Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO).
According to the war veterans, FAZ was created to campaign for President Emmerson Mnangagwa, but allege it has recently been implicated in wrongdoing, promoting violence, and bundling the party’s primaries by supporting certain candidates at the expense of others.
The war veterans pointed out that due to the irregularities, Zanu PF was supposed to conduct re-runs in two wards of Matobo, but that has not happened, and they doubt the polls will ever take place.
“In Ward 18, two candidates received the same number of votes in the primary, but because FAZ supported Jabulani Sibanda, he was proclaimed the winner,” said the war vets who requested anonymity fearing victimisation.
According to the disgruntled sources, a similar scenario occurred in Mthwakazi, Ward 25, when war veterans claimed FAZ accused one of the candidates, current councillor Sibonginkosi Dube, of instigating factionalism and sought to have her removed from the campaign.
“This was because Dube’s child accidentally posted a flood of pictures on her WhatsApp status and one of the pictures was a poster for Chiwenga’s 2023 presidency campaign. A screenshot of that picture was taken and Dube was called for a disciplinary hearing where she explained her child had accidentally posted those pictures including that poster,” the war vets said, noting Dube had travelled to Harare to plead her case.
“She was told there is no such crime and was cleared to participate in the primaries. However, on election day, Dube’s challenger, Thabo Ndebele, who was supported by FAZ, questioned why her name was on the ballot papers and effectively halted voting. Only 17 people had voted at that point. Ndebele claimed he was told he would be unopposed, but we’re curious who told him that and under what conditions,” said the war vets.
According to the war veterans, despite Ndebele’s attempts to stop the voting, polling officers reported Dube had 14 votes to his two, with one spoilt ballot.
“But since Ndebele was a FAZ candidate, he was declared the winner. Ndebele is also an army deserter and that is a chargeable offence but since his father was in the army, the case ended. Why was Ndebele cleared to contest when in Tsholotsho South, a contestant was disqualified for deserting the army?” they questioned.
The veterans also claimed Ndebele was part of a gang that attacked opposition members during by-elections in Matobo last year.
“Why does FAZ reward violence by assisting criminals in running for public office? How can a councillor candidate beat up individuals, including a member of parliament regardless of party affiliation? What are they instilling in our children?” they said.
The group also accused Zanu PF Matabeleland South leadership led by Mangaliso Ndlovu of failing to reign in troublesome elements in the province.
Ndlovu’s phone was not reachable for comment.
“The leadership also framed one of the candidates, Mfakazi Maphosa, a DDC chairperson, who ran against Edgar Moyo (the deputy education minister). Maphosa was accused of stealing campaign money yet his crime was he had delayed handing it over because he had to attend to his sick father in Nyamandlovu,” the war vets alleged.
“The case went to court in Kezi where the witnesses were no show three times. Eventually, Ndlovu, as the provincial chair appeared and said he did not know what Maphosa’s crime was although he was the complainant.”
The court ordered Maphosa to pay a fine but he appealed that decision at the High Court arguing he was innocent and that the complainant was clueless on the matter, the war vets said.
“However Moyo was heard saying that if Maphosa steps down from challenging him, this case will disappear,” they alleged.
“FAZ was the one doing the cell names and voters roll yet was also supporting some candidates and messed that up. A cell is supposed to have 600 people but we have instances where only 90 people in a cell voted. What is President Mnangagwa saying about this chaos?”
