ZEC refuses to condemn Sanyatwe vows to rig elections for Zanu PF

By Staff Reporter

The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) has refused to condemn partisan Zimbabwe National Army commander, Lieutenant General Anselem Nhamo Sanyatwe who vowed recently the military will force citizens to vote for Zanu PF.

In comments that invited wide condemnation, Sanyatwe told cheering Zanu PF supporters in Nyanga North where his wife is sitting legislator, that the army will ensure a Zanu PF victory by all means.

He termed the plan as “command voting” as he vowed Zanu PF shall rule “until donkeys grow horns”.

The reckless utterances were interpreted by the Zimbabwean rights and poll based groups as a declaration by the military to subvert the country’s constitution and electoral processes to keep Zanu PF in power.

Following the comments, prominent lawyer Thabani Mpofu, who has stood for former Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) leader Nelson Chamisa on poll-based court actions, wrote to ZEC demanding the election authority to come clean on its position over Sanyatwe’s comments.

Mpofu challenged ZEC to assure the public that it is not complicit in patent attempts to undermine the country’s democracy by the military.

He argued ZEC’s silence over Sanyatwe’s comments will further put to shame the integrity of the country’s electoral processes as it shall be viewed as a pledge by the army to assist Zanu PF to rig elections in violation of Zimbabwe’s constitution and electoral law.

But ZEC’s response was a luckwarm attempt to stay clear of the mess, insisting it has no jurisdiction to pass comment on a matter that has not been investigated and concluded.

“The (ZEC) Commission feels that it cannot condemn an alleged act of electoral malpractice pending proper investigation and conviction using the procedures prescribed by law,” ZEC’s Chief Elections Officer Utoile Silaigwana said.