Supporters of Zimbabwe's main opposition party say that members of the ruling party, Zanu-PF, are preventing them from getting registered for the upcoming general elections.
Zanu-PF youths manning the registration centres have been accused of intimidating supporters of Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) in Mbare.
If voters are suspected to be opposition members, their personal information, including photos and their voter registration slips, are allegedly being forcibly confiscated.
Mbare is Harare's oldest suburb, which is a well-known Zanu-PF stronghold, and has allegedly been declared a no-go area for opposition members.
A vendor in Mbare Musika revealed that all vendors at the market site have been threatened to register to vote in Mbare even if they stay elsewhere or risk being chased out of their market stalls.
"If you refuse to get registered, they chase you away. They told us that they own Mbare and everyone who operates in their community should comply with their orders," the vendor said.
"Some vendors who had registered to vote, but suspected to be CCC members, had their voter registration slips confiscated."
A female resident in Mbare who failed to register after being turned away by Zanu-PF youths spoke to Scrolla.Africa.
"They are controlling the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission's (ZEC) operations and if you are not a Zanu-PF supporter, forget about getting registered in Mbare," she said.
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CCC's election directorate member Ellen Shiriyedenga condemned incidents of intimidation being perpetrated by Zanu-PF youths.
She added that there is an organisation called Forever Association of Zimbabwe (FAZ), believed to be Zanu-PF aligned, which is allegedly forcibly confiscating possible voters' information in full view of law enforcement agencies.
"'We noted some incidents of intimidation by a Zanu-PF-aligned organisation named FAZ deployed in all registration centres.
"Its mandate is to take personal voter information on behalf of Zanu-PF by taking photos of registrants and forcibly confiscating their voter registration slips," she said.
However, Zanu-PF party's spokesperson Christopher Mutsvangwa said he is not aware of the issue.
Asked about the allegations, the Zimbabwe Republic Police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi said the issue was yet to reach his office. He said he was not able to comment on something he wasn't aware of.
