adminSenior Reporter
FORMER MDC-T Member of the House of Assembly for Magwegwe Mr Felix Mafa Sibanda, who is running as an independent has filed a police report against the party’s official candidate, Mr Anele Ndebele in a battle over campaign posters. Mr Sibanda, who lost the party’s primaries to Mr Ndebele filed his nomination papers as an independent citing rampant rigging, chaos and confusion in the internal poll.
Mr Sibanda is accusing Mr Ndebele of removing his campaign posters, which were put at Mabodoko Shopping Centre in New Magwegwe at the weekend.
“I pasted my campaign posters in the constituency on Saturday morning and the following day some were torn while others were missing. I made investigations and discovered that Mr Ndebele had organised a meeting with the district chairman, Mr Tonderai Nyampikidza,” said Mr Sibanda.
“I discovered that Mr Ndebele paraded my posters and condemned them because I was campaigning as an independent.
“I went to Magwegwe Police Station yesterday and filed a charge against Mr Ndebele for contravening the code of conduct for elections. He will have to appear in court and risks being disqualified forthwith.”
Mr Sibanda said according to the Electoral Act it was a criminal offence to deface, tear or remove placards or election posters for another candidate.
He said Mr Ndebele did not have the right to destroy his posters.
“The so called candidate is ignorant of the law he purports to uphold. He is a failure and does not respect the rule of law yet he signed the code of conduct for polls,” said Mr Sibanda.
“Everyone has a right to express his political opinion and what they have done is violating my rights. By parading my posters he is inciting violence. I have six witnesses against him and he has to appear in court.”
Contacted for comment Mr Ndebele hit back at Mr Sibanda, describing him as an immature old man.
“I did not go to Mabodoko and I am yet to see the so called posters either. Mr Sibanda is misleading people in the first place. As an independent candidate he must be man enough and stand on his own,” said Mr Ndebele.
“I just heard that he is having posters with the face of Mr Morgan Tsvangirai, our party president and his ‘grey head’ on the other. It is unfortunate that despite having grey hair Mafa does not want to grow up. He is emotionally immature.
“I would not stoop to the level of removing his posters. I am too clean to stoop that low. Mr Mafa cannot stand an internal contest and people no longer want him. He abused the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) and bought personal vehicles. We don’t want such leaders.”
Bulawayo provincial police spokesperson Inspector Mandlenkosi Moyo confirmed that they were handling the case.
“We are handling a case in which Mr Sibanda’s posters were removed. He does not know the suspect and investigations are on,” said Insp Moyo.
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