9 4. Status of Cases The full status of the petitions is given in Appendix A. Completed Election Petitions Fifteen election petitions were completed by January 2002; there were verdicts in 10 petitions. Five election petitions were still waiting for a verdict: Goromonzi, Makoni East, Mberengwa West, Mount Darwin South, and Murehwa North. The Makoni West election petition was completed but did not yield a verdict due to the death of the Zanu (PF) Minister of Defence, Moven Mahachi, in an auto accident in May. A by-election was conducted in Makoni East in 2001. Postponed Election Petitions Following an order handed down by Judge Vernanda Ziyambi, the verification of all voting materials in Marondera East, including a recount of all ballots, began in May. Despite this order, the Registrar-General failed to deliver all twelve ballot boxes on time, forcing officials to rush back to Marondera to fetch the seven boxes that had been left behind. Upon examination, postal ballots from Chikomba had been discovered with the Marondera East ballots. ZANU (PF) blamed human error. The case was postponed. Withdrawn Election Petitions Judge Rita Makarau dismissed the Chivi North case because MDC candidate and petitioner Bernard Chiondengwa, did not appear in court on the opening day of the case. Judge Makarau had ruled that, if within three weeks the petition was taken on by a voter in the constituency or another person representing Chiondengwa, then the petition could move forward; however no one came forward. MDC candidate in Zaka West Charles Musimiki withdrew his petition against ZANU (PF) MP Jefta Chindanya. Newspaper reports stated that Musimiki has left the MDC and rejoined ZANU (PF). He was quoted as saying that he was frustrated with the MDC’s lack of commitment to individual constituencies and its land policy. However, MDC Information Secretary Learnmore Jongwe stated that Musimiki told him he was offered Z$800,000 (US$14,545) and a job by ZANU (PF) to rejoin the party. Musimiki denied the allegations. The Chegutu, Gokwe East, Gutu North and Masvingo South petitions were withdrawn without explanation. Cancelled Election Petitions Bindura and Chikomba were cancelled because of the death of the respondent in both cases. Chenjerai Hunzvi, Zanu (PF) candidate in Chikomba, and the leader of the war veterans’ association who supported the use of violence died in May after a bout of malaria. Border Gezi, the Zanu (PF) candidate for Bindura, a member of the Zanu (PF) politburo and the Minister for Gender, Youth Employment, Education, perished in a car accident in May. By-elections were held in both of these constituencies in September 2001. Constituency Descriptions All nine provinces in Zimbabwe experienced violence during the pre-election period to varying degrees. The following is a breakdown of constituencies by province of the election petition cases that the MDC brought to the High Court. (For a detailed listing for each of these constituencies, including voter turnout and results, please see Appendix B.) Harare Manicaland Mashonaland Central Mashonaland East Mashonaland West Masvingo Matabeleland North Matebeleland South Midlands 0 3 7 8 4 7 0 0 9 AMANI TRUST: Neither Free nor Fair: High Court decisions on the petitions on the June 2000 General Election.