Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum this period, independent observers and monitors had been assaulted and intimidated by Zanu-PF in two Mashonaland provinces, East and Central. The OAU team of 22, which deployed only three days before polling, did not appear to have been affected. The Electoral Supervisory Commission warned that the violence would ‘soon reach a situation which is not conducive to the holding of free and fair elections’.lviii However, the Commonwealth Secretary-General was reportedly satisfied following his two-day May visit that the poll ‘could’ be free and fair. After a Commonwealth team had been deployed before the poll for nearly a fortnight, Don MacKinnon changed his mind. Ex-combatants had publicly claimed that they would be appointed polling officers, identify those voting against Zanu-PF, and ‘deal with’ them after the election. This threat was taken very seriously by the National Democratic Institute (NDI) in its damning pre-election report, but the Registrar-General denied that he intended to use war veterans as polling officers. The NDI, which had helped the six major parties, including Zanu-PF, to train monitors, stated unequivocally three weeks before polling that conditions for free and fair elections did not pertain. The Financial Gazette published its report in full. The NDI view was shared by the World Council of Churches observer team. All monitoring teams agreed that the polling had been conducted well, but the pre-election violence, intimidation and deficiencies did not allow them to validate the election itself as free and fair. In the week before voting, opposition candidates’ polling agents were abducted from numerous constituencies. One, Patrick Nabanyama, had not been found six months later despite extensive searches. Another, Itayi Maguwu, was kidnapped from his Dzivarasekwa (Harare) home a month after the election. His badly-mutilated body was dumped near his home four days later. Notes xli Statement of the National Democratic Institute (NDI) Pre-Eelection Delegation to Zimbabwe (p. 5). Election Act (Modification) Notice, 2000 (SI 161B/2000). xliii However, ZNA soldiers serving in the Congo were reportedly registered as urban voters in Harare South (Zimbabwe Independent 28.4.00; Standard 18.6.00). xliv Zimbabwe Independent 23.6.00. xlv SI 141A/2000, SI 158A/2000. xlvi This sub-section is reproduced from the Zimbabwe Human Rights Bulletin 3, pp.10-13, 55-57 (June 2000). xlvii Parliamentary Debates 26,37: 2681. xlviii 98 000 deceased voters were reportedly removed from the roll, but an unknown number remained on it. xlix Their total earnings of Z$6,3 million were presumably unbudgetted. l ZESN 2000 Report on the 2000 Parliamentary Elections Zimbabwe (p. 77). li This assistance, not offerred to other parties, cost Z$840 000 for 120 constituencies. It did not gain the NDI observer accreditation after it reported three weeks before the election that conditions for free and fair polling did not obtain! lii Parliamentary Debates 25,79:5846 (19 May 1999). liii Including Z$15 million from the Ministry of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs and donations of money and manpower from the ZCC, CCJPZ, the Fellowship for Reconciliation, ZimRights and the Losane Community Project. liv SI 161A/2000, SI 161B/2000, SI 177A/2000, SI 177B/2000, SI 180A/2000. lv This sub-section is reproduced from the Zimbabwe Human Rights Bulletin 3, pp.64-66 (June 2000). lvi Electoral (Amendment) Regulations, 2000 (No. 7) (SI 161A/2000). lvii Later reports that this number had been raised to four were not supported by amended legislation. lviii Financial Gazette 11.5.00. xlii 26