Zimbabwe “vote rigging” allegedly caught on tape
A video, purportedly taped secretly by a Zimbabwean prison guard, allegedly shows supporters of President Robert Mugabe watching and documenting who other guards cast a ballot for, reports CNN. The footage, obtained by The Guardian was recorded by guard Shepherd Yuda days ahead of last week’s runoff election between longtime leader Robert Mugabe and Movement of Democratic Change candidate Morgan Tsvangirai, the British newspaper reports. On the tape, a group of prison guards are called together to go into an office where a Mugabe supporter (referred to as “Shambira”) tells them to vote as he watches them and writes down their ballot numbers and for whom they are voting. Yuda, who reportedly made the video to expose Zimbabwe’s violence and corruption, said he also taped a meeting showing top prison officials telling the guards whom to vote for. Vote rigging in this year’s election and in the past has long been alleged, but there has never been bona fide evidence. Yuda, a 13-year prison guard veteran, recently left the country with his wife and children. “I’ve decided to leave Zimbabwe,” Yuda told the camera. “It is a painful decision that I should leave.” Tsvangirai says he dropped out of the race ahead of the vote because he feared for his supporters’ safety, but his name remained on the ballot. Accusations of violence and voter intimidation clouded the recent runoff elections so much so that African Union officials called for the two sides to discuss creating a unity government.

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