‘Elections can’t be rigged’ – Zec says foolproof system in place Justice Priscilla Chigumba
Justice Priscilla Chigumba

Justice Priscilla Chigumba

Nqobile Tshili, Chronicle Correspondent
THE Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec) yesterday said the 2018 elections cannot be rigged as the country’s voting system is foolproof.

The electoral body challenged anyone who can prove otherwise to come forward.

In an interview at the electoral body’s Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF) stand, Zec’s chairperson Justice Priscilla Chigumba said the very aspect of the system being tamper-proof would ensure a free, fair and credible election that cannot be rigged.

She said Zec is committed to providing a credible election through its 100 percent secure Biometric Voter Registration (BVR) system.  The BVR system is a new registration system which captures an individual’s biometric features.

“The BVR system is tamper-proof for the simple reason that the data that we collected is housed in something called the consolidation server. The consolidation server contains the master server that contains all the information and we then have other servers which we are using to connect that data. Those servers have very strict protection files. They’re very strict un-hackable access level passwords that are tamper free,” said Justice Chigumba.

She said members of the public who have evidence that the voting system can be interfered with should bring it forward.

“And I can assure Zimbabwean voters, if any Zimbabwean or any other person who has information that Zec is involved in practices which might be viewed as tampering with that data base, can they bring that evidence to us,” she said.

Justice Chigumba said she would not be drawn into commenting on rigging allegations levelled against Zanu-PF by MDC Alliance presidential candidate Advocate Nelson Chamisa.

Last weekend Adv Chamisa told a rally in Nyanga that if the MDC Alliance does not win the coming elections the ruling party would have rigged.
He, however, failed to substantiate his vote rigging claims.

Justice Chigumba said she cannot comment on rigging allegations that are made for political grandstanding.

“I don’t want to comment directly on what political parties have said about other political parties but I can assure the Zimbabwean voters that Zec is doing and has done its level best to ensure that that data is safe,” said Justice Chigumba.

Opposition parties have in the past used the rigging mantra as their excuse after being walloped by Zanu-PF.

Already MDC Alliance is developing cold feet over the forthcoming elections threatening to boycott the elections if some terms are not met.
President Mnangagwa has repeatedly assured the world that the harmonised elections, expected to be held in July this year, would be free, fair and credible.

The Government has invited observers from all over the world to see for themselves. Western countries like the UK and US that were barred by the previous regime have been invited this year. —@nqotshili

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