×
NewsDay

AMH is an independent media house free from political ties or outside influence. We have four newspapers: The Zimbabwe Independent, a business weekly published every Friday, The Standard, a weekly published every Sunday, and Southern and NewsDay, our daily newspapers. Each has an online edition.

Zec official acquitted

News
A SHURUGWI-BASED Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec) official has been acquitted on a charge of canvassing for votes for his preferred candidate during a by-election held in Gweru last month.

A SHURUGWI-BASED Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec) official has been acquitted on a charge of canvassing for votes for his preferred candidate during a by-election held in Gweru last month.

by Stephen Chadenga

Ephraim Hodzi was last week dragged to court on charges of seeking to influence voting patterns in Gweru’s Ward 7 by-election.

Provincial magistrate Phathekile Msipa said Hodzi had no case to answer, as the State had failed to prove its case.

Msipa said the person Hodzi allegedly tried to influence did not make any formal report, serve for Zanu PF polling agents, who did so on her behalf.

Allegations were that on July 23, Hodzi whispered to one voter, Chemedzai Maburo and urged her to “vote for an independent candidate” in the by-election.

Hodzi was one of the polling officers vetting voters at Mambo Secondary School, where Maria Dzimiri was the presiding officer.

“When Chemedzai Maburo’s turn came, she went to the accused at the door for vetting. During the process of vetting, the accused whispered to Chemedzai saying ‘vote independent, vote independent’,” prosecutor Andrew Marimo had told the court.

When Maburo had finished voting, Hodzi allegedly made gestures to her to find out if she had voted as per his instructions, to which she responded positively.

While outside the polling station, Maburo told John Mutemera, a Zanu PF election agent, what had happened.

Mutemera then approached Dzimiri, who in turn alerted the ward election officer, Joshua Mhino and Hodzi was replaced by another Zec official, before the matter was reported at Mtapa Police Station.