ZEC Wants Penalties For Slanderers
The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) has called for the enactment of laws that punish individuals and organisations that seek to discredit the commission and electoral processes by making unproven allegations.
This comes after pressure groups such as Team Pachedu have accused ZEC of electoral malpractices over the past few years which they allege are meant to create an uneven electoral playing field to give an advantage to the ruling ZANU PF party.
Speaking on ZBC News Current Affairs programme, Face the Nation on Tuesday, ZEC spokesperson, Jasper Mangwana said those making false accusations about the commission and electoral processes must be punished. He said:
We have been asking to be able to register and regulate these political parties because of some of these unfounded allegations that ZEC didn’t do anything, but the moment you become like any other EMB South Africa.
If you raise false issues, for example, they will take like 5 000 votes before you get into an election, we would something like that. This is because if you raise such false allegations, you must prove them.
Meanwhile, Mangwana expressed satisfaction with how the 26 March by-elections were held, saying the absence of rains ensured that no logistical challenges were encountered.
