Staff Reporter

As the nation inches towards Harmonized Elections, there has been a noted increase in cases of theft of Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) computers, the Harare Post can report.

Authorities have raised concern over the motive and timing of the thefts. There is a strong suspicion that there is a coordinated scheme to discredit ZEC ahead of the by-elections and 2023 harmonized elections.

Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) recently reported that ZEC Commissioner, Joyce Kazembe had her laptop stolen from the boot of her car. Kazembe was travelling from Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport after attending a ZEC workshop on the Commission’s preparedness of by-elections and voter registration in Victoria Falls on 14 January 2022.The matter is still under investigations.

On 27 February, there was a break-in at ZEC Commissioner, Jasper Mangwana`s residence. Two laptops were stolen. The laptops had minutes of the Commission`s meeting on voter registration and voter education which was communicated via e-mail. Police CID Forensic Division and ZRP Canine Unit had dispatched an investigation team at Mangwana`s residence.

In June last year, 56 laptops were stolen from ZEC warehouse in Harare. ZEC Administration officer, Judith Marove was implicated in the theft. The laptops were part of the Biometric Voter Registration which were secured by high level passcode.

Analysts have said that this could be the work of the opposition which is already smelling defeat. The theft, analysts said, could be aimed at trying doctor the information stolen with a view to using them as a basis to reject election results. A social media group aligned to Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC), Team Pachedu is always publishing alleged ZEC anomalies indicating that they would have gotten the information from their contacts at ZEC.