South African Observers Quickly Leave Zimbabwe Due to Police Surveillance

Three members of South Africa’s ruling African National Congress party’s Youth League sent to observe Zimbabwe’s election have returned home early because of constant surveillance amounting to intimidation by that country’s Central Intelligence Office (CIO) secret agents.

The league said three members returned home early and one member - based in Bulawayo - was interrogated by the CIO while in Zimbabwe. “This shows the level of intimidation that is still prevalent in Zimbabwe,” the league said.

However, the league said it was pleased that the Zimbabwe government had allowed its delegation to enter and leave the country without any major interference, adding that it had found that conditions for a free and fair election were not evident in that country.

Included in its reasons cited, the league said the state controlled media (the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation and the Herald newspaper) had openly campaigned for President Robert Mugabe, who is facing strong opposition from two opposition leaders.

This was done by vilifying the opponents and giving more TV airtime and paper space to the ruling ZANA-PF party, it said. There was no voter education and voters rolls were not given to the opposition, the league noted.

It also noted that people had voted in areas where they did not live and that the country’s electoral commission was run by senior leaders of the ZANU-PF.

The league said there was a fear of rigging the presidential vote as current electoral results - displayed outside the various polling stations
- showed that the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) had won the election in all four categories of polling.

“The remaining result for the Presidential contest is reported to be in favor of Morgan Tsvangirai,” it said. “There is fear of rigging the Presidential leg, thus the delay of the announcement of the results.”

The league also expressed fear that a type of “Kenyan situation” would occur, should Mugabe “force his way back” into power.

Source African Press Agency

Net News Publisher