The Zanu-PF national commissariat has not yet made a decision on the complaints raised by party members in Manicaland province concerning District Co-ordinating Committee elections held recently. Party national political commissar Cde Webster Shamu yesterday said he held a meeting with the leadership of all the 34 districts in Mutare urban to receive a report on the elections.

This was a second meeting he held in Mutare urban district with executive members for districts over the issue.

The department will meet today to deliberate on what they gathered from district executive members.

Cde Shamu said all election programmes in the province remained suspended until his department completes investigations into allegations that DCC polls held in districts were not conducted properly.

“We have asked them to suspend their DCC elections to give us room to look into the complaints,” he said.

“Until we have investigated the issues raised by people that the elections were not held in a democratic manner all election programmes have to be stopped. We will take a position whether to order a re-run or confirm the results after we have completed the investigations with consultation with the provincial leadership.

“We will then inform the provincial leadership so that they give us their side of the story then we will find a way forward.”

Cde Shamu said during the meeting, one of the things that came out was the implementation of resolutions made by the Zanu-PF 2009 Congress that were reiterated by subsequent conferences in Mutare and Bulawayo in 2010 and 2011 respectively.

One of the resolutions the party made was the need to desist from imposing candidates during elections.

“It was a resolution passed at the last Congress, repeated at the Mutare and Bulawayo conferences, that we must not impose anyone as a candidate,” said Cde Shamu.

He said the meeting he had with district executive members was frank and open as people present articulated their views in a free environment.

DCC elections in Manicaland province have been rocked by infighting and demonstrations as party supporters protested against the leadership of provincial chairperson, Cde Mike Madiro whom they accused of imposing candidates.

The protesters gathered at the party’s provincial offices where they denounced Cde Madiro demanding that he be relieved of his duties as provincial chairperson.

There was a subsequent demonstration that supported the election process. The demonstrators urged authorities not to tamper with the election results saying they reflected the will of the people.