74% of the reports indicated that there were cases where the political use of food was evident. It was widely reported that, a ZanuPF membership card guaranteed access to food, and this was supported by reports in the press and by the MDC. The electoral act forbids any form of treating, but it is evident that treating is not a simple matter to establish. However, differential access to state resources can be regarded as a form of treating if they are seen to operate in the direct favour of the political party in power and obviously without the bounds of the general policies of a government. We are concerned with the differential access to food in a time of evident drought and food shortages. This is not a new issue, and there has been enormous controversy over the government’s policies in respect of food acquisition and food allocation. Table 11. Political use of food. GROUP % OF REPORTS. ZANUPF 72 MDC 3 OTHER 1 THE NCA WOULD HERE COMMENT THAT IT IS CRITICAL AT ALL TIMES TO SEPARATE ACCESS TO FOOD FROM POLITICAL PARTY AFFILIATION, ESPECIALLY AT TIMES OF SEVERE DROUGHT AND FOOD SHORTAGE. IT IS EVEN MORE CRITICAL TO SEPARATE AFFILIATION AND ACCESS AT TIMES OF ELECTIONS, AND ESPECIALLY WHEN SUCH LINKAGES WILL AFFECT THE POOREST AND THE WEAKEST, NOT FORGETTING THAT ZIMBABWE HAS AN EXCEPTIONALLY HIGH RATE OF HIV INFECTION IN ITS POPULATION. The election itself Although the polling day itself was peaceful, serious discrepancies were immediately alleged by the MDC. Additionally, war veterans were said to have disputed voting in Gwanda, Matebeleland South, and violence was reported in Guruve North. A Swedish television reporter for SvT was expelled from Zimbabwe, even though he had press accreditation, whilst 2 journalists with the Daily Telegraph were arrested on the grounds that they were not accredited and hence reporting illegally. A number of women from Women of Zimbabwe Arise [WOZA] women were arrested in Harare for attempting to hold an all night prayer for the elections, and reliable evidence indicates that many of the group was severely assaulted by the police, with a number requiring hospital treatment. Most African observer missions claimed the election showed the will of the Zimbabwean people and that it was free and fair. The AU did not wholly validate the elections, and the SADC and the AU missions also raised concerns over a number of inconsistencies that the authorities need to look into. Furthermore, both raised concerns over the number of people who were turned away from polling stations. The Zimbabwe Council of Churches (ZCC) declared the just ended parliamentary elections as free and fair saying the poll was held in an orderly, peaceful and transparent manner. In a statement, the president of the ZCC, Bishop Khumbulani Peter Nemapare said, "As a result of the largely positive reports received from our observers, all testifying to the facts that these elections were held under an environment conducive for holding elections in peace, we feel that the elections are an expression of the people’s wishes and our conclusion is that they were free and fair," he said. 4 4 The Herald, 6 April 2005. National Constitutional Assembly: THE 2005 PARLIAMENTARY ELECTION. FLAWED, UNFREE AND UNFAIR!