By Takudzwa Changadeya
The main opposition party, Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC), has been rocked by double candidates following the elections nomination court which sat on Wednesday.
The party has disowned some of the candidates and blamed the Central Intelligence Organisation linked group Forever Associates Zimbabwe (FAZ) for brewing the chaos ahead of the August 23 general elections.
The outfit, led by CIO co-deputy Director-General, retired Brigadier-General Walter Tapfumaneyi, is a secret shadowy unit frantically campaigning for President Emmerson Mnangagwa and Zanu PF in the upcoming polls, and do play other roles during elections.
FAZ allegedly replaced the army’s previous shadowy unit known as Heritage, which used to play similar roles during election sessions in the past.
During voter registration, the association reportedly demanded proof of Zanu PF membership at ZEC inspection centres from prospective voters wishing to check for their names on the voters roll.
FAZ allegedly disrupted Zanu PF primary elections which saw party bigwigs losing the ruling party’s internal plebiscite.
In a statement seen by BustopTV, CCC’s deputy spokesperson, Gift “Ostallos” Siziba, denounced FAZ saying the secret unit forged signatures to be registered as CCC candidates without the party’s permission.
“We noted with dismay the flimsy attempts by FAZ working to paint a picture of the people’s movement as having double candidates in multiple constituencies and wards. For the record, we signed for only ONE candidate per ward and per constituency.
“The multiple candidates who have been cited from various documents and announcements have not been signed for by the party,” he said.
“The individuals in question either forged signatures or they belong to a shadowy party formed in 2021 called Citizens Convention for Change and Citizens Collaboration for Change and Concerned Citizens Congress.”
Siziba added that there are patterns of misinformation and fraud designed by FAZ to paint a picture of confusion within CCC.
“ZANU PF and it’s agents are desperate and creating shadowy individuals to dampen the citizens’ conviction for change.
“All these desperate attempts will not derail the course of change and our legal teams across the country are working to fix this malfeasance manufactured by FAZ and distributed by ZEC.
“We are heading to win BIG and protect BIG,” he said.
On his Twitter, the opposition party leader Nelson Chamisa revealed that the party members approached Zimbawe Electoral Commission (ZEC) to inspect submitted nominations and found out that the double candidates had forged signatures and their party logo.
“A HUGE SCAM – MANUFACTURED CCC DOUBLE CANDIDATES..Our teams have just been to ZEC to inspect the submitted nominations. It’s clear that the so called ‘double candidates’ forged signatures and the CCC logo. Our CCC logo is embossed and not a photocopy as is the case with the ‘double candidates’.
“In addition, those nominations were not countersigned for by the designated officials of CCC. It’s clearly a sting operation! We will explore the remedies available at law which enjoin ZEC to resolve this matter. We are pursuing this remedy with immediacy and urgency necessary,” he said.
Meanwhile ZEC has called upon candidates who were disqualified from lodging their nomination papers on account of difficulties experienced in effecting payment of nomination fees largely due to the current challenges within the banking system to rectify their nomination process.
“The Commission is calling upon all candidates and parties whose nomination papers had been submitted but had challenges with the Commission’s point of sale machines and those who had submitted proof of payments but funds not reflecting in ZEC’s account to approach the respective nominations courts wherein their papers were lodged and make the necessary payments or get confirmation of said payment no later than 1700hrs on 22 June 2023.
The overriding mission of ZEC is to be as accommodative and inclusive as possible to enable Zimbabwean voters to exercise their cherished democratic rights,” ZEC wrote in a statement.
