The Government of Zimbabwe has threatened main opposition party Citizens Coalition for Change CCC) for saying people should protect their vote against vote rigging.
CCC has been urging people to collect vote results as soon as they are posted outside polling stations before going home.
However, the government says it will not allow people to mill around polling stations waiting for results to be posted outside polling stations.
Minister of Home Affairs Kazembe Kazembe warned that the country’s security forces will not allow people to wait for results after voting.
His statement reads:
“The Security Forces are aware of machinations by some political leaders who are encouraging their supporters to picket around polling stations in the name of “defending their vote”.
We also know that some political parties are currently recruiting youths from urban areas, for deployment in some rural areas where they would co-ordinate these so-called
“defend the vote” antics. We are, however, aware that these are machinations aimed at inciting violence.
This conduct
violates Section 90 of the Electoral Act and Sections 8 and 10 of the Maintenance of Order and Peace Act, which prohibit gathering around Polling Stations and any unauthorized congregations, respectively.
This mischief must stop. The Security Forces are ready to descend on any persons who will be caught on the wrong side of the law.
The Security Forces are also alive to efforts by some local organisations and their international partners to deploy illegal communication systems in order to unlawfully transmit and announce unofficial and fake election results.
Anyone who intends to transmit and announce election results outside the mandate of the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) has no good intentions for the country’s peace and security.
As such, the transmission and publication of results by any person or body other than ZEC is unlawful, criminal and will be dealt with accordingly.”
