ZANU PF Affiliate, FAZ, Funded CCC Double Candidates, Opposition Party Claims

The opposition CCC claims that a ZANU PF-affiliated organisation known as Forever Associates Zimbabwe (FAZ) paid nomination fees for some National Assembly candidates who registered under CCC resulting in double candidates in 22 constituencies.

CCC deputy secretary for elections, Ellen Shiriyedenga told reporters in Harare on Wednesday that internal investigations uncovered a well-planned campaign to confuse opposition voters. She said:

The submitted copies were at variance with what the CCC had submitted, with one candidate in Bulawayo even using a symbol with a yellow background contrary to CCC’s official symbol with a black background.

The fraudulent candidates literally photocopied our letterhead on bond paper and pasted that as their party symbol at complete variance with what we submitted ourselves.

Shiriyedenga accused the nomination courts of failing to exercise due diligence, resulting in fraudulent individuals filing their papers as CCC candidates. She said:

Ian Makone (CCC elections director) reported the case to the [ZRP] law and order authorities.

The CCC’s legal team is actively working on the case and eagerly awaiting the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) and (police)’s law and order (section) to provide the necessary evidence.

The CCC official added that some of the “CCC candidates” were known ZANU PF activists often seen on social media platforms such as Facebook or Twitter wearing ZANU PF regalia. She said:

Those were not our members and even if you go to the database of our citizens’ independent selection panel (CISP) that conducted our candidate selection processes, they were not part of the process, so this is how fraudulent they were.

However, ZANU PF spokesperson Christopher Mutsvangwa told NewsDay that CCC was blaming other people for their disorganisation sensing they are headed for a huge defeat in the upcoming elections.

He mocked CCC, saying “the structureless party is now clutching at straws blaming everyone, but themselves.”

More: Pindula News