The ManicaPost
Samuel Kadungure
Senior Reporter
TEMPERS flared during the Zanu PF District Coordinating Committee elections in Nyanga where one of the three aspiring candidates for the chairmanship – Moses Gutu — was arrested for allegedly destroying ballot papers and assaulting a presiding officer upon sensing imminent defeat, The Manica Post can reveal.
An irate Gutu, who had resigned from his Central Committee position to contest in the lower structure elections, was arrested early this week in connection with the fracas at Nyanga Rural District Council on Monday.
Gutu, who is not new to controversy, was expected to appear at the Nyanga Magistrates’ Court yesterday (Thursday) on assault charges.
Cde Miah Mtombeni, who was the presiding officer for the DCC elections in Nyanga, is a complainant in the matter.
Gutu was pitted against war veteran, Cde Barnabas Mhaka and Cde Makaiadi in the chairpersonship race, and witnesses said when he sensed defeat from Cde Mhaka, he became violent.
Gutu was at Nyanga Police Station on Wednesday assisting the police with investigations.
When contacted for a comment on Wednesday, Gutu initially denied the allegations and accused his rivals of plotting against him.
However, he later apologised to President Mnangagwa, Cde Mtombeni and Zanu PF.
He admitted that his conduct on the fateful day was disorderly.
The DCCs in Manicaland were blighted with an assortment of challenges that saw some districts beginning voting on Monday afternoon, two days after the set elections date.
Manicaland had 260 polling stations and at least 489 candidates vying for the 23 positions in eight Zanu PF political districts.
Contestants, voters and people from across the province were by Thursday still waiting with bated breath to know the official outcome of the elections.
Voting in Makoni, Nyanga and Mutare Urban spilled on to 8pm on Monday after the voting process suffered logistical, manpower and natural occurrence challenges, chief among them being the delays in the deployment of voting material, shortage of polling officers and transport as well as the heavy rains that destroyed bridges and made most roads in the rural areas impassable.
Leader of the Politburo team that monitored the elections in Manicaland, Lieutenant-General (Retired) Engelbert Rugeje said ballot papers were insufficient at most polling stations despite the low voter turn-out brought about by the rains and delays of the voting process.
“The deployment of polling officers in Manicaland was problematic. The personnel failed to match the number of polling stations on the ground,” said Cde Rugeje.
He added: “The impact was most felt in rural areas where the roads were not trafficable. The rains delayed the voting process and prevented people from voting.”
