Audio By Carbonatix
New evidence of vote-rigging in last month's presidential election in Zimbabwe has emerged in the form of a secret film made by a prison guard.
The guard, Shepherd Yuda, filmed the vote-rigging at his jail in a production for Guardian Films.
Prison officers, including Mr Yuda, who has now fled Zimbabwe, were forced to vote for President Robert Mugabe by superior officers.
The officers organised a postal ballot and stood over them as they cast votes.
'Orphans'
Mr Yuda decided to speak out after the murder of his uncle, an opposition activist, two months ago. He knew he and his family would have to leave Zimbabwe as a result.
"This election: I have never seen that type of violence," he says in the film.
"The impact has left a lot of orphans; it has left a lot of people displaced. You cannot expect that from your government."
He secretly filmed a war veteran, Superintendent Shambira, watching as prison officers voted.
Supt Shambira ensured they marked their ballots for Robert Mugabe, and not the opposition candidate, Morgan Tsvangirai. Supt Shambira then logged each vote against an identification number. There was no secrecy.
All those voting knew Supt Shambira had the power to condemn them as MDC supporters.
Mr Yuda says he had no choice but to vote for Robert Mugabe. Mr Yuda also spoke to voters on the streets of Harare.
"They're standing right in front of you when you cast your vote," one voter told Mr Yuda. "They watch."
The voter went on: "Shambira definitely sees you vote - there's no way of hiding it. I was thinking I could vote when he wasn't looking, but he was watching like a hawk."
Re-education rallies
Among the prisoners is Tendai Biti, a prominent opposition MP and human-rights lawyer.
Mr Yuda filmed him having his leg-irons removed for a court hearing.
Mr Biti, who is awaiting trial on treason charges, was released on bail, but could still face execution.
"You know, I was so touched: for a man of his status to be reduced to such levels, to be put in a criminal institution," Mr Yuda says in the film. "It's very, very sad."
Mr Yuda also captured conversations between prison guards in the run-up to the 27 June run-off election, as tension was increasing.
"In my area, there's a lot of tension," one guard tells him. "Zanu-PF (ruling party) thugs came to my house as soon as I left for work today. They abducted my wife. They took her to the base."
These "bases" are springing up in private houses all over Harare.
Previously they were a feature of rural Zimbabwe; now they have reached the capital.
Ordinary people are abducted and compelled to attend Zanu-PF re-education rallies.
"I am forced to go and guard these bases all through the night, after my shift here," another prison officer says.
"They cordon off the whole street: it becomes a no-go area. These people are killers, the thugs that Zanu-PF are using."
And another guard says the rest of the world should do more to help Zimbabwe.
"It's in the hands of the international community now," he says.
"[South African President] Thabo Mbeki has betrayed us. He didn't want to come down hard on Mugabe. Instead, he kept going on and on about pan-Africanism."
On election day itself, Mr Yuda films a woman who is so fearful that she has pretended to have voted.
She colours her little finger with a pink marker, hoping to simulate the ink used to identify those who have already cast their ballots.
The day after Robert Mugabe's election, Shepherd Yuda and his family began packing, preparing to leave Zimbabwe.
Their lives would have been in danger if they had stayed. They can only begin to think about returning once Mr Mugabe has gone.
Source: BBC
DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.
Tags:
DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.
Latest Stories
-
Beyond the Party T-Shirt
11 minutes -
IGP promotes five police officers over Kwafokrom GOIL robbery arrest
18 minutes -
Tragedy at Senchi: Two crushed to death as tipper truck somersaults near market
34 minutes -
Government to unveil “The New Economy” Programme in 2027 Budget
45 minutes -
GIZ, Zoomlion and Blue Skies launch InnoWaste Project to create jobs and tackle plastic waste in Ghana
1 hour -
‘The emotional journey is difficult, but you don’t stop’ – Antoine Semenyo’s mother on diaspora struggle
1 hour -
‘Football in Ghana is about blood and legacy’ – Antoine Semenyo’s mother urges diaspora parents
1 hour -
QNET, Manchester City bring world-class football coaching to Ghana’s young talent
1 hour -
Emma Ankrah: Between quiet questions and the will to continue
1 hour -
Ghana’s economy shows strong recovery after “inherited crisis” – Ato Forson tells Parliament
1 hour -
No further IMF financial bailout will be required in the foreseeable future – Finance Minister
1 hour -
Learning from Ukraine, Hezbollah is now using fibre-optic drones to hit Israel
1 hour -
Teenager arrested at Senya Beraku for alleged defilement of 15-year-old girl
1 hour -
Ghana has moved from IMF ‘supplicant’ to partner – Ato Forson declares as economy surges past $100 Billion
1 hour -
“Ghana has moved from ICU to wellness center” — Finance Minister declares economic recovery
2 hours