ZEC dismisses army deployment claims

Sibongile Maruta Herald Reporter
THE Zimbabwe Electoral Commission yesterday dismissed social media claims that the electoral body deployed a Zimbabwe National Army member as an undercover intelligence operative. Recently, social media was awash with news claiming that ZEC had deployed Zimbabwe National Army members working as undercover intelligence operatives.

In a statement, ZEC acting chief elections officer Mr Utloile Silaigwana said the reports were meant to tarnish the image of the organisation.

“The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission hereby alerts members of the public against individuals who are bent on tarnishing the image of the commission by circulating false information on WhatsApp, purporting to be linked either directly or indirectly to the commission,

“This comes in the wake of a recording circulating on the application of an individual who is purporting to be a member of the Zimbabwe National Army at ZEC as an undercover intelligence operative,” he said.

He advised members of the public that the commission had no serving soldiers in its employment.
ZEC refuted claims that the use of the code *265# to confirm one’s registration status was a ploy to flush out certain groups of registrants from the provisional voters’ roll. The use of the unstructured supplementary service data (USSD) code and short message services (SMSs) are initiatives to make one’s registration status easily verified.

ZEC advised the public that one’s name can only be removed from the voters’ roll through death, objection or multiple registrations.

“The commission is also advising the public that Sections 32 and 33 of the Electoral Act clearly state the circumstances under which one’s name can be removed from the voters’ roll either through death, objection or in the case of multiple registrations,” said Mr Silaigwana.