Political Reporter
The spokesperson for the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC), Fadzayi Mahere, has come under sharp criticism following her recent tweet suggesting coercive voting tactics within the ranks of the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP).
Mahere raised an alarm, tweeting, "ALERT: We’ve received reports from all provinces that members of @PoliceZimbabwe are today casting their postal votes. Our agents & independent observers have not been allowed to monitor the process. Where is the transparency @ZECzim? #ZECMustExplain."
In a swift rebuttal, a senior ZRP officer who preferred anonymity termed Mahere's allegations as both unfounded and misleading.
"It is absolutely incorrect to suggest that our officers were coerced into voting in a particular manner. Every officer who participated in the voting process did so freely,” the senior officer asserted.
Further countering Mahere's claims, another police officer, who preferred to remain anonymous, vouched for the transparency of the postal ballot system.
"Mahere's allegations are devoid of truth. We were in no way forced to vote for particular candidates. The postal ballot system is clear and transparent. It was only availed to those officers who would be deployed away from their regular polling stations on the election day," the officer explained.
Political analyst, Edith Mushore said that the ZRP's swift dismissal of Mahere's allegations highlights the sensitive nature of electoral matters in Zimbabwe, especially as the country nears its elections.
“Transparency and fairness are critical components of the democratic process, and as such, it is essential that any claims, especially of such gravity, are thoroughly investigated and addressed. Politicians should desist from making unfounded allegations,” said Mushore.
Meanwhile, the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) Deputy Chairperson, Rodney Simukai Kiwa yesterday said that they had only allowed police officers deployed outside their constituencies to participate in the postal ballot system. He added that postal voting was not subject to monitoring.
