The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC)’s headquarters in Harare was on Sunday allegedly besieged by unknown criminals and three laptops belonging to senior officials were stolen.
According to a memo seen by ZimLive, two laptops belonging to chief elections officer Utloile Silaigwana and a third which was assigned to his secretary, Isabel Mariwowo were stolen before 9AM on Sunday.
The incident was discovered after Mariwowo turned up for work on the same day.
“While trying to investigate she discovered that the adaptor was missing from her office,” read an internal police memo.
Mariwowo discovered that her Dell laptop was missing, and in Silaigwana’s office an HP ProBook and MacBook Pro had also been stolen.
“The south facing window for Silaigwana’s office was broken with a stone which was on the floor,” according to the memo.
ZEC, the election management body, is presiding over the plebiscite to be held on the 23rd of August this year.
Already, the opposition is accusing the ZEC of beginning to manipulate elections in favour of the ruling Zanu-PF party.
Following the banning of 12 opposition Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) aspiring MPs in Bulawayo over a controversial basis that they allegedly submitted their nomination papers after 4pm, Chamisa accused his rival President Emmerson Mnangagwa of already manipulating the electoral process.
“If you have nullified the election, it means you are no longer the President. The seat is now vacant. A transitional government should be in place.
“If you bar the 12 candidates, it means there is no election. It is a coup on the ballot.
“It is a vote of no confidence on the elections, vote of no confidence on Zec.
“Mnangagwa anodherera (takes people for granted). He doesn’t know how angry we are,” he said.