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Ms Majome

Zvamaida Murwira Senior Reporter
Parliamentarians have been urged to be wary of non-governmental-organisations who in their bid to discredit local polls, will never appreciate the country’s electoral system.

Legislators noted that some NGOs like the Election Resource Centre would “perpetually” condemn Zimbabwe’s electoral system despite improvements that would have been registered.

This was said by some legislators while making contributions to a portfolio committee report on Justice and Legal affairs chaired by Harare West MP Ms Jessie Majome (MDC-T), on Zimbabwe Electoral Commission’s preparedness to hold by-elections.

The committee appeared to have accepted evidence given to it by the ERC.

In her report, Ms Majome said ERC had described the 2013 harmonised elections on special voting as chaotic and that media access was not equally distributed among contesting political parties.

Bikita West MP Dr Munyaradzi Kereke (Zanu-PF), said there were some organisations like ERC that would never appreciate anything from Government as they seek to please their Western benefactors.

“My contribution to that is, we (need to) look at some entities. We need to take note that some organisations come with a pre-conceived mindset. They will forever say the playing field was not even. The assertion that the electoral field was uneven is like chasing a mirage. In any election, there is a winner and a loser,” said Dr Kereke.

He reprimanded the committee for making an allegation that Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa who oversees the Ministry of Justice and Legal Affairs had scuttled its work when he did not come to give evidence.

Ms Majome had earlier on said that the committee did not agree with VP Mnangagwa’s assertions communicated to them through the administration of Parliament that issues they wanted him to address were sub-judice.

Buhera West MP Cde Oliver Mandipaka (Zanu-PF), said NGOs and losing political parties would always complain if strong parties distribute goods to the electorate as they would make allegations of vote buying.

“We need to be wary of certain organisations that say our elections are not credible. There are organisations that will remain adamant,” said Cde Mandipaka.

Chegutu MP Cde Dexter Nduna (Zanu-PF) echoed the same sentiments.

He however called for the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission to register those people previously regarded as aliens, saying most of them have never been to any other country other than Zimbabwe.

“These people will be told to first renounce their foreign citizenship. In my constituency, there are many. I want to make a clarion call for the Executive to register them without any questions,” said Cde Nduna.

Kadoma Central MP Cde Fani Phiri (Zanu-PF) advocated the banishment of the use of the word “alien” saying it was derogatory.