POLITICS

Zim police investigate electoral fraud

Police chief accused opposition of instigating violence

HARARE (Sapa-AFP) - Zimbabwe police said on Wednesday they were investigating at least 100 cases of electoral fraud from the country's disputed general elections.

"So far the Zimbabwe Republic Police has recorded 100 cases of electoral fraud with many more being discovered by the day," police commissioner-general Augustine Chihuri said in a statement.

Several officials from the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) have been arrested after President Robert Mugabe's party claimed electoral officers had been bribed to count votes in favour of the opposition.

Some voters have also been arrested for voting more than once.

"Placing wrong candidates in office who were not selected by the people is evil and should never be allowed at all cost," Chihuri said.

"This is a new phenomenon in the electoral history of Zimbabwe. We will leave no stone unturned in our quest to expose the source of this cancerous treachery. All those involved will be brought to book and prosecuted."

He vowed his charges were geared to thwart post-election violence.

"We are aware that some individuals promised a Kenyan-style insurrection should election results not go their way and most certainly we hold them responsible for what we are seeing today," he said.

"Incidents of burning and stoning of public vehicles, burning of houses in the communal lands and assaults have been received. However, the police is fully geared to tackle this challenge as it comes.

"The old trick of claiming human rights violations when somebody steps on your toe yet you yourself are poking other people's eyes will not work this time around."

Zimbabweans went to the polls on March 29 to elect a president, lawmakers and councillors but more than a month later ZEC is still to announce the presidential results.

The opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) which won most of the parliamentary seats says at least 15 of its supporters have been killed and hundreds displaced in attacks at the hands of ruling party militants.