ELECTORAL watchdogs have demanded that government must launch an inquiry into the fallout among Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec) commissioners, which they say has crippled the electoral body six months before the country holds general elections.
Zec commissioners have been squabbling over the preliminary delimitation report that was submitted to Parliament and President Emmerson Mnangagwa last month, with only two out of nine commissioners having endorsed it.
Only Zec chairperson Justice Priscilla Chigumba and her deputy Simukai Kiwa endorsed the document while the majority abstained saying it was produced unprocedurally.
Seven commissioners — Jasper Mangwana, Abigail Millicent Mohadi-Ambrose, Catherine Mpofu, Jane Mbetu Nzvenga, Kudzai Shava, Rosewita Murutare and Shepherd Manhivi rebelled.
They have since written to President Emmerson Mnangagwa and Parliament rejecting the draft delimitation report.
Mnangagwa did not take heed of the seven commissioners’ concerns and has already handed over the report to Justice Chigumba with the greenlight to perfect it and produce a final copy this week.
The boardroom squabbles have reportedly brought business in the electoral commission to a standstill as the seven commissioners have abdicated their duties to Chigumba.
In a statement, the Zimbabwe Election Support Network (Zesn) said: “A full inquiry must be conducted on the Zec commissioners who signed off a protest against the submission of the report to the President. The protestations by the majority commissioners point to Zec admitting to the fundamental mistakes made in the report, and the fact that the report does not meet the constitutional standards.
