‘Gomba Arrest Ploy To Embarrass ED’

Expelled Petrotrade Board Chairperson Tinomudaishe Chinyoka has hit out at the police over the arrest of former Harare Mayor Hebert Gomba saying it is meant to embarass President Emmerson Mnangagwa.

Commenting on a Herald story on the arrest of Gomba, Chinyoka who is a close ally of Mnangagwa said there is no law that puts a cap on the number of people who can be registered at a single address.

Gomba is being charged with registering 19 people at his parents’ address. He also stands accused of registering as a voter using an address where he does not live.

But Chinyoka urged the police and National Prosecuting Authority to focus on corruption and stop embarrassing Mnangagwa by charging Gomba with a non-existent crime.

“You’ll be shocked to find that registering many people at one address is in fact not a crime. There is no upper limit to the number of registrations at an address. This is just another ploy by NPA & @PoliceZimbabwe to embarrass the President- focus on corruption not this nonsense,”  said Chinyoka.

In response, Professor Jonathan Moyo said both Zanu PF and MDC have been registering their supporters using the affidavit system as the law does not prohibit the registration of many people at one address.

“You are right Tino Chinyoka, there’s no law prohibiting the registration of many people at one address; it’s the genius of the affidavit; ZanuPF and the MDC have been doing it ever since; with the MDC outsmarting ZanuPF with the practice in urban areas; and ZanuPF in rural areas,” said Professor Moyo.

Meanwhile, an internet based pro-opposition pressure group Team Pachedu has been unearthing alleged manipulation of the voters roll by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission including registering multitudes of people at a single address including in Harare Central Business District.