Chaos continue to rock Zimbabwe Red Cross Society elections with Harare district elections called off over the weekend in Highfields.
There is severe disgruntlement within the humanitarian organisation amid massive corruption allegations and election rigging.
Efforts by the Harare provincial manager Vongai Masara to call the police were in vain as the law enforcement agents were told that there was no violence but a demand for answers by voters.
Everything went upside down after Mascara called out roll call to verify the branch members present.
She then ordered all City Centre branch members out of the room and this did not go down well with the members who went out grudgingly even if they were not answered on why they had been ordered out.
After feeling the heat she took the members to her office and told them that their branch was dissolved because they were no longer holding meetings.
Asked which Constitutional provision allowed her to dissolve a branch she couldn't answer passing the blame to outgoing Harare district chairperson Mr. John Fombe who couldn't give a satisfactory answer.
This reporter witnessed Masara making efforts to call and get instructions from the head office.
She was told that Article 53 allowed for the dissolution of the National Society, not a branch. She had nothing to say.
She could also not explain if she was a member of the Election Committee which is according to Article 29.9 and 55 mandated to conduct elections.
Asked why the provincial chairperson Mr. Crisbow Mudyiwa,vice chairperson Mr. Achbold Maibek and provincial treasurer Mr. Lovemore Skepa were present she said they were observers. She couldn't give the Constitutional provision which allowed for these observers.
She also could not explain why she had allowed for five (5)members from each branch when they should be three (3) Article16.1(c). Again she had no answer. She then called in the police who came immediately, three in uniform and two in civilian clothing. This move was such a big surprise as there was no noise or the slightest sign of noise at all.
She then said she was postponing the election to a date to be advised and the election would be conducted by the Election Committee.
In a related case to the shenanigans around these elections, the volunteers in four branches of Insiza in Matebeleland South province have written to the so called Election Committee
highlighting the rigging tactics done by the Matebeleland South provincial manager Mr. Johnson Sibanda. They say he conducted the elections on 8 August, 2024 instead of the scheduled 24 August, 2024. This was confirmed by the outgoing chairperson Miss Hadebe. She claims she was retained as the district chairperson from high offices. This is not provided for in the ZRCS constitution.
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Mr. Sibanda claims he has been elevated to the post of chairperson of the Election Committee.
In yet another controversial election the Inskumin branch,Gweru district was disqualified by the Provincial manager, Marble Zinange on controversial reasons.
This branch has 24 members, all paid up with 3 members who have more than 5 years of continuous membership. The said branch was denied their right to elect and to be elected because its relatively new. There is nowhere in the constitution where new members are prohibited from exercising their right to vote. They cannot only be elected . (Article 33)
Their other 3 members are electable.
This is a very legitimate branch which is denied its democratic right to participate in the elections.
On the 23rd of August, at elections conducted for the district of Gweru , the same Provincial Manager had 5 members from each branch casting votes contrary to the provisions of article 16.1(1) which clearly stipulates 3 members per branch.
As the drama continues in The Zimbabwe Red Cross elections Mr. Mlambo, the ZRCS president remains stone silent. Where is the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC)as this circus continues unabated.
