ZANU PF, the ruling party in Zimbabwe, has accused the opposition Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) of vote buying after the party donated food hampers to volunteers who participated in the voter registration blitz.
In Twitter posts seen by Pindula News, CCC Member of Parliament for Harare West, Joana Mamombe said the hampers were a “thank you” to volunteers who participated in the voter registration process. She said:
#HarareWest The leadership of #HarareWest took our time to thank volunteers and foot soldiers who actively participated in the voter registration blitz. They sacrificed their time and resources to ensure a successful voter registration blitz.
As #HarareWest we surpassed our target by helping over 4000 new voter registrants. We are really grateful for the volunteer’s work, and we can’t thank you enough. Let us amplify our efforts during the general elections campaign Thank you @DenfordNgadzio1
Responding to the Tweets, the ruling party suggested that the actions constituted vote buying. Said ZANU PF on Twitter:
.@JoanaMamombe is giving food parcels to voters In CCC when this is done by ZANU PF members it’s called VOTE BUYING.
Vote buying refers to the practice of offering material or financial incentives to voters in exchange for their votes in an election. It is illegal in Zimbabwe, and anyone found guilty of such conduct can face imprisonment and or a fine.
In recent years, there have been reports of vote buying in Zimbabwe, particularly during election campaigns. This has been attributed to the country’s economic challenges, with some politicians using money and other incentives to sway voters.
The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) has been taking measures to combat vote buying, such as conducting voter education campaigns to raise awareness of the dangers of such practices and working with law enforcement agencies to investigate and prosecute those found guilty of vote buying.
In the past, ZANU PF has faced allegations of buying votes with critics saying the party is exploiting the widespread poverty and inequality, which leaves voters exposed to such corrupt and undemocratic practices. The party denies the accusations. The party actually accuses some non-governmental organisations (NGOs) of vote buying on behalf of the opposition in the country.
Source: Pindula
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