Zim registration 'in shambles'
17/03/2008 11:59  - (SA)  

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Johannesburg - The Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) has threatened to "make noise" if Zimbabwe did not resolve issues that will lead to elections that are not "free and fair", Cosatu's secretary-general says.

Briefing the media at Cosatu House, Johannesburg, Zwelinzima Vavi and Zimbabwean Congress of Trade Unions secretary-general Wellington Chibebe criticised the voter registration and the voters roll as being in shambles.

"There is a lot of confusion in which wards people are expected to vote in.

"Having a comprehensive and accurate voters' roll should be considered as a prerequisite for free and fair elections," Chibebe said.

Other matters discussed were the delimitation commission, the "arrogance" of President Robert Mugabe after he announced the election date and the Zimbabwe elections support network being barred from conducting voter education.

'Zanu-PF propaganda machinery'

The media in Zimbabwe also came under fire from Chibebe, who accused them of being Zanu-PF propaganda machinery.

Chibebe also criticised Zanu-PF of vote-buying in a bid to gain voters.

"The government has doled out billions of Zim dollars to the members of the armed forces as unsolicited loans. This is daylight vote-buying," he said.

Vavi said: "This tells us that the environment is not conducive in Zimbabwe. The dice has already been cast in favour of the Zanu-PF and Mugabe. We'll make our own noises to make sure these issues are sorted out in time to allow for free and fair elections".

He also criticised the heads of armed services who recently announced that should Morgan Tsvangirai or Simba Makoni win the March 29 election, they would not salute them as they regarded them as "traitors of the revolution.

"This sends a message that people should vote for the current chaos to avoid bloodshed. The Sadec governments should warn these generals against interfering with people's right to choose".

He said Cosatu would apply to be allowed to send election observers to Zimbabwe.

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