The nation voted in the 2023 harmonised elections yesterday with a few constituencies which experienced logistical challenges voting today.
The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) which is mandated to run and announce results of the elections is collating and verifying results from various constituencies.
Social media is awash with purported results some of which are fake and meant to cause anxiety among the populace.
The law is clear on the conduct of elections in Zimbabwe. ZEC is the only body mandated to run elections.
We urge the nation to be patient and wait for official announcement of results.
Section 66A of the Electoral Act [Chapter 2:13] prohibits the populace from announcing results of an election and stipulates penalties for offenders.
“66A Unofficial or false declaration of results prohibited
(1) Subject to subsection (3), any person who—
(a) purports to announce the result of an election as the true or official results; or
(b) purports to declare any candidate to have been duly elected;
before an electoral officer, acting in accordance with this Act, has announced the result of that election or declared a candidate to have been duly elected in that election, as the case may be, shall be guilty of an offence and liable to a fine not exceeding level five or to imprisonment for a period not exceeding six months or to both such fine and such imprisonment”, reads the Electoral Act.
We expect results to start being announced from today onward.
The nation is urged to be prayerful and peaceful. An election must not divide us but rather unite us. We are one people. We need each other.
