Zimbabwe: Zanu-PF to Investigate Concerns Over Dcc Polls

By Leonard Ncube

ZANU PF has dispatched a team to Bulawayo, Matabeleland North and Matabeleland South as well as Masvingo provinces to investigate concerns raised by some members on the District Coordinating Committee (DCC) elections conducted in November last year.

The ruling party reintroduced the DCCs after disbanding them in 2012 when it was felt they had been hijacked by elements that wanted to manipulate the party structures to foment factionalism and disharmony.

Elections were held countrywide in all party administrative districts but there were complaints of alleged irregularities in some areas.

Some losing candidates and concerned party members raised their concerns to the National Election Directorate, challenging poll results and the voting process.

The party's Commissariat department has so far written to the concerned districts in Bulawayo, Masvingo, Matabeleland North and Matabeleland South provinces indicating that a team will be on the ground to investigate the concerns.

A letter dated February 18 shows the team started its work in Masvingo on Monday and will be in Bulawayo on Saturday before going to Matabeleland South for two meetings in Umzingwane and Gwanda districts next Monday and Tuesday respectively. The team will then proceed to Matabeleland North on Wednesday for meetings between Thursday and Sunday next week.

"The commissariat department will be visiting the following areas to follow up on outstanding concerns that require investigations," read part of the letter seen by this publication.

The party's Matabeleland North provincial chairman Cde Richard Moyo, who is also Provincial Affairs and Devolution Minister, confirmed that the team will be in the province next week.

"They are coming and they will be in Hwange where they will have meetings. I think the team will be headed by the National Commissar (Cde Victor Matemadanda) and will be joined by a team from the province," said Cde Moyo.

In Hwange, losing candidate Cde Reeds Dube told the party that there were some irregularities in the election after he lost to Cde Mathew Muleya. Two other candidates Cdes Jonathan Mathe and John Dix Ncube contested in the four men race for the Hwange DCC chairmanship.

In Gwanda, Politburo member Cde Abedinico Ncube who is also Matabeleland South Provincial Affairs and Devolution Minister called for a re-run arguing that less than a quarter of members voted due to logistical challenges.

This article originally appeared on The Zimbabwe Herald