China directed election rigging: leaked docs

“Director Mr Chung Huwao (mobilisation) Chinese Communist Party will lead a parallel registration and mobilisation structure in systematic sync with NIKUV International Projects and Registrar General’s office to minimise neutralise (sic) hostile votes in urban areas counter populating, under-registration (age band 18-15) (sic – should read 35) and over registration (age bands 35-90),” read the minutes of a joint meeting between the Zanu (PF) commissariat and the Joint Operations Command held at Manyame Air Force Base on June 3, 2013.

“As advised by CPC the approach to be used in peri-urban areas centres on land ownership – membership to vote. The message communicated must be that hostile votes will lead to loss of land entitlement. Ownership of flea markets and stalls must be based on card carriage and re-orientation meetings attendance. Absolute neutralisation of the enemy in the areas is recommended when necessary.”

The minutes show that Zanu (PF) acknowledged that it had lost support since 2008 and was worried about declining membership. To counter this, the party brought in the JOC, the Chinese Communist Party and Nikuv International Projects to assist the Registrar General’s office in manipulating the voters roll to produce an election victory.

“As at May 25 2013, party records show a membership of 700,000, down from 775,000 in 2008. Collaborative intelligence shows that the potential voters are 670,000 as at June 3 2013, against potential hostile votes of 1,000,000 (at) the same date,” say the minutes.

“Records, reconnaissance and collaborated intelligence show that Midlands province alone has potential of producing (sic) 450,000 votes by July end. Mashonaland Central and West can produce a total of 1,2 million votes over and above already recorded friendly votes.

“Zimbabwe military intelligence will coordinate and evaluate mobilisation tactics informing the party commissariat, led by Dir Sydney Nyanungo and A.V Marshall H Muchena. Major-General Martin Chedondo will join the team of (Staffing and logistics),” say the documents.

In the urban areas the documents show that there was parallel registration at Zanu (PF) offices under the supervision of NIKUV. “Intelligence officers will take a lead role in party structures to set housing schemes, re-orient the beneficiaries and populate them on the voters roll through party offices and Nikuv International projects.

It said one DT Nhepera, the CIO Director (Internal), together with Nyanhungo and Muchena, had chosen Nikuv “basing on their excellent record from 2002”.

“Nikuv International Projects will assist in populating the (voters’) roll, computing figures and modeling results before and during elections to counter unfavourable voting outcomes in major cities” and would be paid $13 million.

The committee also recommended that the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission voter registration exercise must be led by security personnel and trusted party cadres, with ZEC being directed to ensure that they registered less than 10 people per centre per day.

The minutes indicate that, in rural areas, youths would be deployed at ward level by national security to neutralise the party’s opponents, while traditional leaders would also be roped in to help.

According to the minutes, “pirate” radio stations posed the “greatest danger (to Zanu (PF)) in rural areas” and, to counter that, the party and its partners were installing new Shortwave jammers while updating the old equipment in Harare and Makuti.

In the rural areas the documents show that the meeting decided that trained youths would be deployed in various wards, led by security personnel “as advised by the Chinese Communist Party”.

“These will direct enemy neutralisation, depopulation and population of provinces with the help of traditional leaders. Banning of enemy gatherings, regalia and occasional disciplinary action to (sic) enemy leaders must produce absolute liberated zones,” say the documents.