ZEC boss Priscilla Chigumba
Zimbabwean software engineer and Mandla system developer Freeman Chari has challenged the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) to publish its election returns and V11s by Friday so that people can compare with his.
Chari says although the election has been discredited and condemned by the Southern African Development Community (SADC) his aim to have results validated and use them to hold ZEC to account.
“Even though the election was discredited & condemned by SADC, our goal is not to validate them but to hold ZEC accountable.
“Let’s set Friday as the date ZEC will publish its polling station returns and V11s and we will also do the same.. then let people compare. Ndatenda,” he says.
Apparently, Mandla is an intelligent election tabulation system which Chari says has many smart security features. And it was used in the just ended disputed elections to expose the alleged vote rigging by ZEC on behalf of ZANU PF and President Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa.
Apparently, Chari and data analysts Team Pachedu say the state is hunting for the Mandla system which was reportedly being used for Citizens Coalition for Change vote tabulation.
“Have they found Mandla yet? Keep the V11s coming!,” Chari says.
“They are looking for Mandla meanwhile he is watching them 24/7.
“Umfana uba bukele,” says Team Pachedu.
The search for Mandla has seen police raiding 2 election organisations, arrest 39 to stop parallel vote tabulation
Police swooped on the offices of two independent election monitoring organisations in Harare on Wednesday night and arrested 39 activists.
The raids came as Zimbabweans voted in chaotic general elections marked by lengthy delays in voting due to shortages of ballot papers, particularly in urban opposition strongholds.
Police said the 39 were arrested for allegedly planning to release unofficial election results.
“A raid was conducted last night (Wednesday) at Holiday Inn in Harare, at a location in Belgravia, Milton Park and also in the Grange area where several communication gadgets were recovered which include laptops, phones,” police spokesman Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi said.
“Thirty-nine suspects arrested. These were coordinating the alleged release of election results by some civic organisations which are linked to the Zimbabwe Election Support Network, the Election Resource Centre and others.”
Rights groups condemned the raids, which they said were aimed at stopping the organisations from conducting parallel tabulation of election results, which is legal.
“They are being held incommunicado since 9PM last night,” Rose Hanzi of the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights said. “The more time passes without access to lawyers, it will become an enforced disappearance.
“This is a clear sign that the police have arrested the ERC and ZESN personnel to investigate. Police should investigate first and arrest after they have established a reasonable suspicion that a crime has been committed. Why have they not been afforded a phone call? They need to be fed and be treated with dignity. How safe are they? Incommunicado detention is unconstitutional.”
Zwnews
