The Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace in Zimbabwe (CCJPZ) and the Inter-Regional Meeting of Bishops of Southern Africa (IMBISA) yesterday said they recorded 47 incidents of poll irregularities in Wednesday’s harmonised elections.
VENERANDA LANGA
Chairman of CCJPZ Bishop Alexio Muchabaiwa yesterday told local and international journalists at a press conference that although the environment remained peaceful up to the close of the polls, the church was concerned that a significant number of voters could not find their names in the voters’ roll.
“For example, in Mutare 433 people were turned away and similar incidences were also reported in Gokwe and Hwange, as well as disruption and stoppage of the counting largely as a result of missing or misappropriated information, especially for the special votes ballot boxes,” the CCJPZ said.
“By close of polls, CCJPZ had recorded 47 incidents with 13% representing intimidation or coercion near the polling station, 9% representing irregular or inconsistent vote counting, 4% representing observers denied access to polling stations and other cases involving polling stations that opened late,” they said.