Zanu PF seeks to steal 2018 polls

Zanu PF seeks to steal 2018 polls by misinforming rural voters on BVR

Pressure group, Zimbabwe Yadzoka/Mayibuye iZimbabwe has raised the red flag over Zanu (PF’s) attempt to steal the 2018 polls by misinforming the rural populace on the Biometric Voter Registration (BVR) system.

“Zimbabwe Yadzoka has noted with grave concern in our meetings around Zimbabwe that Zanu (PF) is deliberately misinforming the rural populace on BVR. In many interviews we have held around the country, it appears BVR is being presented to the rural populace as a new systematic way of tracing who people would have voted for,” said the pressure group’s leader, Dr. Victor Chimhutu.

He said the Zanu (PF) shenanigans were a threat to free and fair elections.

Zanu PF under Mugabe misinforming rural voters already

Chimhutu called upon opposition parties and democratic forces to unite and ensure the rural voters are educated on their democratic rights.

“While Zimbabwe Yadzoka is doing its part in educating people on BVR, our efforts alone are not enough and need to be complemented. We call upon all civic movements as well as opposition parties under the banner of the National Electoral Reform Agenda (NERA) to quickly work on this situation. Failure to do so, Zanu (PF) will steal the 2018 elections through misinforming people,” said Chimhutu.

Zimbabwe Yadzoka/Mayibuye iZimbabwe was launched in August 2016 with the objective of mobilizing rural voters to vote for democratic change and depose Zanu (PF) from power.

The pressure group has also been advocating for a coalition of opposition parties ahead of the 2018 polls.

Chimhutu said the nation must not allow Zanu (PF) to steal the next elections.

“Events on the ground show that Zanu (PF) wants to steal the next elections and the result will be a legitimacy crisis which will see the country descend into chaos. The people of Zimbabwe are anticipating a new political dispensation anchored on a bottom-up approach and it is this political culture that Zimbabwe Yadzoka is awakening in the people,” said Chimhutu.

He said it was necessary for opposition political parties to be on the ground and pay attention to the needs of the people.

He added that Zimbabwe Yadzoka/Mayibuye iZimbabwe will also work with disgruntled war veterans to mobilize people to resist the dictatorship of President Robert Mugabe and Zanu (PF).

Zombie Voters Expose ZANU PF vote rigging

Zimbabweans from many groups were in the centre of Birmingham to protest at massive electoral fraud by President Robert Mugabe's government. The dead vote in Zimbabwe!

The demonstration was held at New Street/High Street near the Bull Ring, Birmingham on Saturday [22nd April] under the #Take2Zimbabwe Campaign. The demonstrations are being organized by a number of UK based human rights organizations and other groups, along with ZHRO. Interestingly both #Tajamuka/Sesjikile's Hapson Ncube and Zimbabwe Yadzoka have both given their endorsement of the #Take2Zimbabwe continuing campaign.

The protesters presented themselves as zombies as they highlighted aspects of election rigging. To emphasis the Zombie voters the protesters danced to Michael Jackson' s popular track Thriller - whose video features the 'undead'.

The UN-Dead are here for your Vote: Image Credits: Hillary Chikomba

ZHRO director of Marketing, Mable Kayiya, who devised the Zombie theme, as well as the #Take2Zimbabwe concept, said there was need to levy continued  pressure on the Zanu PF Regime ahead of the 2018 polls. Following on from the success in London of the 18th April 2017 on the Anniversary of Zimbabwe's [so called] Independence, the #Take2Zimbabwe 'campaign' continues to distribute informative flyers and collect petition signatures from the passing public - in order to highlight the major electoral problems concerning Zimbabwe and the quest for the Diaspora Vote.

Speaking about the #Take2Zimbabwe and 'Thriller' campaigns, Mable reiterated;

"The concept of #Take2Zimbabwe was birthed at the realization that Zimbabwe moved from one form of colonization to another.  Colonization under the Mugabe regime is a betrayal to the nation whom, today 37 years later, are oppressed, maimed and killed by the very people they trusted to deliver the promise of independence to."

Adding;

"The Zimbabwe govt does not only stop at violating our human rights as living beings, they violate those of the dead too, to ensure they get a vote by any means necessary.
 Running up to 2018 elections, united citizens of Zimbabwe at home and in the diaspora, we're saying 'No to Stolen Elections'. Zombie Zimbo Thriller protest was about highlighting this as one of the ways elections have been rigged in the past. Zombie's protesting because they want the right NOT to vote come 2018." said Kayiya.

 Speaking after the Birmingham event, ROHR Zimbabwe Information and Publicity Officer, Farai Nhakaniso, said  hundreds of people, including British citizens sympathetic to the Zimbabwean situation, participated in the demonstration.

"We held the demonstration to highlight and expose the shocking magnitude of vote rigging by the Mugabe Regime. We are fully aware of the fact that there are ghost voters in the electoral process. The event has captured the UK Public' s attention. We are happy the world is getting accustomed to the magnitude of electoral fraud in Zimbabwe," said Nhakaniso.

He added: "This time we will continue to express our message explicitly in  Zimbabwe and abroad. We want to force the regime to desist from  outright vote rigging.We will not sit back this time around.Mugabe and his cronies must go- our message is loud and clear."

The #Take2Zimbabwe Movement will spread to Leeds and Manchester in the coming weeks amid growing calls for Mugabe's resignation and Zanu PF to ZEXIT Zimbabwe.⁠⁠⁠⁠ In fact a whole series of "Road-Shows" is being formulated to further engage with the UK Public.

Engaging the Public: Image Credits; Hillary Chikomba

Back in Zimbabwe, however things are getting worse; source: Bulawayo 24 - 18th April 2017

Villagers are reportedly being forced to vote for Zanu PF in the coming elections or face eviction from the areas in parts of Mashonaland and Midlands.

Heal Zimbabwe Trust reported that in Nyanga District's Ward 2 on 24 March 2017, Zanu PF convened a meeting at Avila business centre.

"The meeting was addressed by Zanu PF ward 2 chairperson, Wilson Sauro and Councillor Joseph Kadyamusuma. They told people that if they fail to vote for ZANU PF in the 2018 elections, Zanu PF was going to unleash violence similar to the one experienced in the 2008 elections. They also announced that all Village heads should ensure that people from their villages attend all Zanu PF meetings called for in the ward," said the trust.

"On 27 March 2017, Chief Katerere and Village head Chabvura ordered 18 Village heads from ward 3 to evict people who fail to produce Zanu PF membership cards and also ensure that they do not receive food aid. To date, Village head Chabvura has already started asking people in his village to produce Zanu PF membership cards during food distribution meetings."

In Gokwe North District at Gokwe Gumunyu ward 19, Village heads Matenga and Marima are forcing people to join Zanu PF. On 26 March 2017, the two Village heads sent out their secretaries who moved around the villages announcing that food aid will only be given to people with Zanu PF membership cards.

Breaking the Cycle

by Peter Goredema

A Woman of Substance 

In the 1890s my grandfather and his compatriots suffered inconvenient forced dislocation in their own land due to colonisation by the British South Africa Company. Given that African culture is reputed to be heavily patriarchal and male dominated, it may sound paradoxical that it was Mbuya Nehanda Charwe Nyakasikana (a Hera woman of the Hwata Mufakose Dynasty) who inspired the masses into that first revolt against the unfairness of the domination of the many by the few.

Zimbabwe is today crying for such women to spearhead a revolution to steer us out of the dismal abyss of perpetual poverty and oppression that have been brought about by corrupt governance that we continue to suffer under ZANU PF. The great mind Albert Einstein is among the geniuses that are reputed to have said:

“If you always do what you've always done, you will always get what you've always got.” 

The situation in Zimbabwe is so dire that I regret to have to say to our brave women;

“Cry louder still, even to the point of tears of blood, to assure your children the milk and honey that potentially flow in our beloved country if only we had a benevolent Government of the people, for the people, by the people.”

 Domination of us the masses by the few of ZANU PF must not be allowed to continue.

The Mirage of Milk and Honey   

In the 1960s a second popular revolt was initiated by the likes of the late Dr Joshua Nkomo, Father of Zimbabwe, who motivated us at Chaminuka Square in Mbare by declaring: “Poor people can progress from punitive poverty to positive prosperity and power provided they are prepared to pay the price for the prize.” Rank and file did pay the price, and the prize of independent Zimbabwe was duly delivered to us on 18 April 1980. But that soon proved to be a mirage at every level of the socioeconomic spectrum.

Dr Joshua Nkomo

A friend of mine who held a tender to supply fresh eggs to Harare’s Parirenyatwa Hospital had it cancelled overnight for “health reasons”, only to be replaced immediately by a Government minister. Another friend passed all protocols for leasing a BP Garage in Harare’s Avondale suburb, only to be told that could not be because neither he nor his father had contributed to the building fund of the ZANU Headquarters. Whereas Peter Goredema (Harare) and Peter Dube (Bulawayo) were reputed to be the best A Level Chemistry teachers in Zimbabwe, their travel tickets and spending money from the International Chemistry Teachers’ Association were usurped on five different occasions (Maryland, Bristol, Addis Ababa, Manilla, London) by ZANU PF Government officials who were themselves not teachers, let alone chemistry teachers.

What a loss to Zimbabwe’s science education that must have been! Ironically, one of those who stole our tickets and money went on to be a Provincial Governor! Whereas the Government passed a law requiring omnibuses to be equipped with steel wheel rims to prevent buses from overturning in case of sudden tyre puncture at high speed, it turned out that it was a ZANU PF Government minister who was awarded the tender to manufacture and sell those rims. Ample cause for Dr Nkomo to writhe in his grave.

In any country in the world people look forward to elections with vigour and excitement. Not so in Zimbabwe where law-abiding citizens have to fear for their lives and their properties.

• Here physical and emotional violence permeate the electoral system as a government campaign tool or as a weapon for punishing those who have not voted for ZANU PF.  
• For the past three decades there has been a disappointing atmosphere of inevitability about election results. 

Uncommon results require uncommon commitment, so it is incumbent upon all of us to go the extra mile to mobilise a vote for change in 2018, fundamental change, real change that dethrones the dictatorial government by the few of ZANU PF and enthrone a democratic government of the people, for the people by the people.