People’s Party interim president Walter Mzembi has warned that the ruling ZANU PF party has already set its rigging wheels in motion through the creation of a database for the disbursement of mealie meal coupons.
Mzembi contends that the move is an exercise in smart vote-buying and patronage that has no “V11 forms” that can be presented in court as evidence of rigging. He said:
Beware of clientelism. This database is an exercise in smart vote-buying and patronage. Vote rigging in Zimbabwe is a process, not an event, this is the real V11 in the making that cannot be presented to the Constitutional Court but very deadly act!
On Wednesday the government announced that it will soon issue coupons to targeted households to enable them to buy subsidised roller meal at the stipulated price.
Information Minister Monica Mutsvangwa told journalists after Wednesday’s Cabinet meeting that the compilation of a database of beneficiaries was at an advanced stage.