ZANU PF activists in Manicaland have allegedly gone on a rampage, intimidating and threatening to repossess land belonging to suspected MDC Alliance supporters in Makoni North constituency as cases of retributive attacks increase following last week’s hotly-contested general elections.
BY KENNETH NYANGANI
Brighton Mupfapairi, who contested for the seat as an independent candidate, claimed that the victimisation of opposition supporters started in the run-up to the polls.
“Voters and my supporters were intimidated by Zanu PF that their land was going to be repossessed if they voted wrongly. This was actually shocking to me and this is total intimidation,” he said
“Just two days before the election, Zanu PF used a voters’ roll to distribute fertilisers and maize seeds and this is clearly vote buying and the environment was not conducive at all,” he said.
“I am not going to accept the defeat at all cost,” he said, adding he was still compiling evidence to challenge Zanu PF’s James Munetsi’s victory.
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“International observers were very few in my area. Some headmen were used as polling agents and this was clearly intimidation at its best and there is headman Tendai, who was reportedly a polling agent at Chiendambuya Primary School,” he said.
Contacted for comment, Zanu PF Manicaland provincial administration secretary Kenneth Saruchera scoffed at the allegations.
“It’s very unfortunate that we are not responsible for distributing land, but sometimes it’s normal for losers to make noise and we have not used headmen in polling stations,” he said.
“I want to congratulate my party for winning in most constituencies in the province,” he said.