By 1pm, all the centres surveyed had not started voting, driving away frustrated potential voters. In central Harare, there was no activity at designated polling centres such as Montague shopping centre and Raylton Sports Club, with officials saying they were still waiting for stationery.
Voting was supposed to start at 7am and end at 7pm at all centres. In Harare’s southwestern constituency centres, the story was the same.
Party officials coordinating the voting process also said they had no stationery, while at some of the centres, no polling officers were present.
“There is a lot of confusion over the venues,” said one aspiring voter in Warren Park. “We are not sure where we are supposed to go and, in some cases, makeshift polling centres are being set up at supporters’ houses.”
As a result of waiting for long hours, many party supporters had gone back home, raising fears of widespread apathy.
Supoorters from rural voting centres such as Zaka in Masvingo province, Shurugwi North in the Midlands and Murewa in Mashonaland East had not voted by 1pm, but said they were not aware of the reasons behind the delays.
In Mashonaland West, the election directorate had not availed ballot as well and voters that had gathered at mostly church venues were turned away by the police, apparently fearing that there could be chaos.
. "We have not heard a word from those conducting elections yet. Voters are not sure when voting will start," said a police officer at Youth Centre covering Ward 2 in Chikangwe high density suburb.
Aspiring councillors, members of parliament, senators for such areas like Hurungwe Central, North, East, West and Magunje were seen at party offices making inquiries.
Keith Guzha, who is fighting it out with Magunje MP Franko Ndambakuwa, confirmed the delay. Sources claimed that the army would be called in to supervise the primaries following the confusion in the province. The party has of late been reported to be broke.
The Zanu (PF) primaries have been rescheduled twice. Initially, they were supposed to be held on Monday 24 June, only to be shifted to Wednesday before finally settling on Tuesday.
This has raised questions among analysts why the party is rushing for an election when it is still faced with serious internal challenges. The elections are being run by the party’s provincial elections directorate.
Post published in: News