Judge upholds Mutasa victory despite violence

Judge upholds Mutasa victory despite violence

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By Staff Reporter

A HIGH Court judge said Monday she had uncovered "isolated" incidents of violence perpetrated in one constituency by members of the ruling party on opposition supporters ahead of this year's parliamentary elections.

However, Justice Rita Makarau said the violence was not enough to nullify state security minister Didymus Mutasa's victory in Makoni North constituency in the March parliamentary elections.

Makarau was, however "satisfied in her judgement that throughout the constituency, villagers were threatened with the withholding of food and agricultural inputs if they were inclined to the opposition party.".

She said she had heard the testimony of one witness from the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) who saw "one MDC member exchanging his MDC T-shirt for a bag of maize at a rally".

But, Makarau said, the culprits were local ruling party Zimbabwe African National Union - Patriotic Front (Zanu-PF) officials, and not Mutasa himself.

The MDC, led by former trade unionist Morgan Tsvangirai, is challenging the victory of Zanu-PF members in several constituencies. The MDC saw its representation in parliament this year fall to just 41 seats out of 150 - a result the party refuses to accept.

The judge, who sits on Zimbabwe's special electoral court, said there was no evidence to show Mutasa approved the attacks. And she said there was no evidence there was "widespread" violence throughout Makoni North.

Makarau said "the correct position was that violence and undue influence would only render an election void if that was widespread throughout the constituency".

The opposition still has to decide whether to take part in elections for a new senate scheduled for the end of next month.

Tsvangirai last weekend asked supporters at a rally in the capital "whether the vote will not be stolen again as was done in the previous elections since 2000 and whether participating in the polls will resolve our current national crisis of growing poverty and unemployment". - Sapa-dpa
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