Staff Reporter

The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) has rubbished claims that it has rigged elections in Zimbabwe and has challenged those who accuse it of rigging to come forward and produce evidence to substantiate the claims.

Speaking to members of different political parties who attended a peace building meeting in Harare yesterday, ZEC spokesperson Jasper Mangwana, dismissed the rigging claims as bar talk that should not be taken seriously.

“If you say that ZEC has rigged elections or that something has not been done correctly, then we need substantive evidence. There is provision of the Electoral Court in the Electoral Act where you should take all these matters. You political actors are the same people who are actually sending the voters away. Elections end with V11s. Those other issues about favour and malpractice are just bar talk with no proof,” said Mangwana.

He urged political parties to take advantage of their representation in parliament to amend or formulate electoral laws that will enable the smooth conduct of elections.

The ZEC spokesperson further clarified that the electoral body has no mandate to regulate how the campaigns should be conducted prior to elections.

“It’s not an electoral provision for ZEC to manage campaigns. We do not approve campaigns. We don’t even talk about such issues. You drag us into the mud for nothing. Those issues are outside our mandate,” said Mangwana.

Many times, the opposition parties in Zimbabwe accused ZEC of rigging elections in favour of ZANU PF. However, the opposition has failed to substantiate their rigging claims even in a competent court of law.