Vote buying and violence force ‘re-runs’ in CCC’s ...

Vote buying and violence force ‘re-runs’ in CCC’s candidate selection process

Zim Now Writer

The Nelson Chamisa-led Citizens Coalition for Change has been forced to order reruns in areas where there were allegations of vote-buying and other political skullduggery where some incumbent councillors and Members of Parliament doled out money to communities so that they could be nominated as well as violence in others.

The opposition group employed a community consensus candidate selection model in place of internal elections and the process was not as smooth as had been anticipated, with the CCC now ordering reruns set to take place on Monday.

Re-runs had been set for Kuwadzana, Warren Park, Glen View South, Glen Norah and Epworth North following acts of violence between rival supporters.

They failed to agree on the way forward following the presentation of a register that had been expected to aid in candidate nomination.

In Glen Norah, there were violent scenes involving former Harare Mayor Herbert Gomba, which were also highlighted by the Election Resource Centre.

The former mayor was accused of manhandling party youth Womberaiishe Nhende whom he thought wanted to challenge for “his” council post.

Shakespear Hamauswa, who is the current Warren Park MP, was accused of dishing out between US$3 and US$5 at centres where he sought nomination.

The process was eventually abandoned following a chaotic attempt at candidate selection in the high-density suburb with officials trying to use “unknown registers”, leading to scuffles.

After realising that Warren Park had not managed to nominate him, Hamauswa bundled officials tasked with recording nominations into his vehicle and sped off to Mufakose where he was eventually nominated.

Chitungwiza recorded similar accusations.