It's An Offence To Publish Results Before We Do: Zec Warns Social Media Users

The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec) has warned individuals not to publish any election results until the electoral body verifies the results. Zec warning that publishing the results in any way, particularly social media was a chargeable offence as it is prohibited by the Electoral Act. Zec chief elections officer Utloile Silaigwana said,

Results will be posted at the polling station and then the presiding officer will carry them in the company of observers and agents to a ward command centre where local authority results will be announced.

We are strongly appealing to those who are friends with social media not to assume the role of publicising results because it’s not theirs. Social media users have no mandate and no-one should announce results until Zec, which is an authentic body charged with the mandate of elections, does so.

Anyone who publicises results before Zec violates the Electoral Act. It’s a chargeable offence for anyone to publish results of an election before they’re announced by Zec.

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