There was a high turnout of voters in provinces such as Harare, Bulawayo, Manicaland and Masvingo and the MDC is confident that there is going to be a resounding win for the yes vote.
In Mbire, Mashonaland Central province, Air Force of Zimbabwe helicopters had to be used to ferry voting material and Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) staff as most parts of the area are not accessible because of the heavy rains that have pounded the area.
Voters in Mudzi North failed to go and vote in the morning as there were heavy rains and voting only increased steadily in the afternoon.
However, the MDC has been receiving reports of violence from some parts of the country.
Juliet Manyasa of Ward 27 in Buhera, Manicaland province was assaulted by one Mashayise after she refused to heed his call for her to vote no in the referendum. Mashayise has since been arrested.
Christopher Chirigise an MDC observer was arrested today at a polling station in Shamva South, Mashonaland Central province while Crispen Rambo an MDC member was assaulted by soldiers in Chipinge Central, Manicaland province.
Headman Kagoto of Chobombo village in Shamva today assembled villagers and told them that they should vote no before forcing them to go to the polling station.
In Ward 29 at Lusumuko polling station, Gokwe Kabuyumi in Midlands North, there were delays in delivering ballot boxes and they had to improvise by giving voters papers that are not ballot papers to use for purposes of voting.
The MDC is also concerned by the insistence by ZEC that all polling agents from political parties should come in as observers and pay a fee of US$10. Each political party needs four polling agents at each polling centre at the nearly 10 000 polling centres an amount which is not sustainable.
Despite the referendum being carried out by ZEC officials, the MDC will not abandon its call that ZEC should be reformed and staffed by people who are professional.
Meanwhile, a number of soldiers have raised concern and informed the MDC that their superiors are commanding them to register to vote and telling them that they have to vote in cantonment areas where soldiers will have their own voting booths and civilians their own.
“Only last week we were bussed to town to go and register, including the police,” one of the soldiers said.
These kinds of fear inducing tactics will not work, as soldiers just like the rest of the people of Zimbabwe will not be cowed into voting for Zanu PF, come crunch time in July when we hold the general elections.
The MDC is also concerned by the insistence by ZEC that all polling agents from political parties should come in as observers and pay a fee of US$10. Each political party needs four polling agents at each polling centre at the nearly 10 000 polling centres an amount which is not sustainable.
Despite the referendum being carried out by ZEC officials, the MDC will not abandon its call that ZEC should be reformed and staffed by people who are professional.
Meanwhile, a number of soldiers have raised concern and informed the MDC that their superiors are commanding them to register to vote and telling them that they have to vote in cantonment areas where soldiers will have their own voting booths and civilians their own.
“Only last week we were bussed to town to go and register, including the police,” one of the soldiers said.
These kinds of fear inducing tactics will not work, as soldiers just like the rest of the people of Zimbabwe will not be cowed into voting for Zanu PF, come crunch time in July when we hold the general elections.
Post published in: News