Team Pachedu has criticised the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) for disclosing the phone numbers of voters who they said had received ‘intimidation’ messages from the ruling party.

Development Diaries reports that Zimbabwe’s presidential and parliamentary elections are due to be held in August 2023.

The main political parties for the elections are the Zanu-PF, which has been in power since independence in 1980, and the opposition Citizens Coalition For Change (CCC), which was formed in early 2022.

The non-governmental organisation (NGO) claimed that voters have received personalised text messages in Shona (the local language), including the name of the constituency to which they belong and signed with the name of President Emmerson Mnangagwa, who is running for re-election.

Team Pachedu is accusing the ZEC of having passed voters’ data to Zanu-PF in breach of privacy and electoral rules.

The organisation argued that the information only appears on the new electoral lists and only the electoral commission is supposed to have access to it.

‘In addition, the people who receive the messages are new registrants as well as opposition supporters who have never provided their details to the ruling Zanu-PF’, Team Pachedu said while declaring its intention to sue.

On its part, the electoral commission’s vice president, Rodney Simukai Kiwa, has denied providing any contact details to anyone

President Mnangagwa has previously been accused of muzzling the opposition; but unable to revive an economy that has been in crisis for two decades.

The 2023 general election will be Zimbabwe’s second election since Mnangagwa took power from Robert Mugabe in a 2017 military coup.

Development Diaries calls on the concerned authorities, political parties and their supporters to ensure that the elections are not marred by such acts so that all Zimbabweans can participate without fear.

Photo source: The Africa Report