Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum Report — Of Stuffed ballots and Empty Stomachs Observation by Polling Agents, Observers and Journalists As indicated earlier, the candidate and his or her election agent were the only persons in the electoral process who could be considered to be entirely independent of governmental influence. It was therefore vital that these people were granted all their procedural rights before one could regard the vote as fair with any confidence. This was not done. The Constituency Elections Officer should have appointed Presiding Officers and polling officers.51 This function seems to have been usurped by ZEC52 who appointed partisan personnel, as the following sample indicates. PRESIDING OFFICER RELATION/DESIGNATION Bhekinkosi Langa Gcbayi School Candidate’s Brother Casting Chimedze Inyozane Pry School ZANU(PF) Official Reason Zhou Scooter B/centre Brother to constituency registrar Morren Nkomo Bolo Pry School Assistant DA and Partisan Ephraim Mudumba Artherstone ZANU(PF) Official Maria Ndumba Nyamine School ZANU(PF) Official Majority Mnkandla Mkwabeni Pry School ZANU(PF) Official Dedani Moyo Tshunguyani School ZANU(PF) Official Orpha Moyo Lubuze Sec School ZANU(PF) Official Luke Nkomo Sukasihambe Pry School ZANU(PF) Official Never Nkomo Gumbalo Sec School ZANU(PF) Official Joyce Manombe Msithi Pry School ZANU(PF) Official Dorcas Moyo Mleja Hall ZANU(PF) Official Luke Sibanda Mpalawani Homestead ZANU(PF) Official Ben Mthembo Dube Gwamanyanga Homestead ZANU(PF) Official MDC candidates in several constituencies reported that at numerous polling stations their election agents were denied access to the polling station until around 11.00 a.m. by these officers. Some Polling Officers demanded that MDC election agents produce proof that the election agent’s name had been published in a paper as required,53 even though this proof is not a legal requirement.54 The Constituency Elections Officer should advise the Polling Officers of the identity of authorized election agents. Even when some MDC election agents had taken the 51 52 53 Section 52(2). This allegation was made by all MDC candidates who challenged the results in their constituencies. See for example paragraph 11 of Paul Themba Nyathi’s Election Petition. See above in the section on polling agents. 18