THE Zimbabwe Red Cross Society (ZRCS) management and former board have been accused of employing a number of dirty tactics and a host of other election rigging strategies to win elections that ushered a new board into office.
A new ZRCS board led by David Chaliyanika was elected in December last year during the organisation’s general assembly held in Kariba.
Other members of the new board include Emmaculate Chuma (vice-president), Bennard Sharara (vice-president) and Paradzayi Dakwa (honourary treasurer).
Chaliyanika took over from Edson Mlambo, who allegedly masterminded his successor’s victory.
Before winning the top post, Chaliyanika had been serving as the ZRCS vice-president.
The election was witnessed by the director policy, planning and international relations in the Defence ministry Tendai Chilowa, who was representing Defence minister Oppah Muchinguri Kashiri and International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) head for southern Africa Jules Amoti.
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies head of country cluster delegation for Zimbabwe, Zambia and Malawi John Roche was conspicuous by his absence.
However, before the December general assembly, some ZCRS members had dragged the association to the High Court seeking to stop the elections citing a number of irregularities.
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In their court application, they flagged massive abnormalities which they said were in conflict with the organisation's constitution.
The disgruntled members had wanted anomalies faced during the branch, district and provincial elections addressed first.
The court, however, advised them to seek redress through a normal court application and allowed the General Assembly and elections to go ahead.
Chief among their complaints was that the elections committee was not set up according to Article 29.9 of the ZRCS constitution adopted in 2018.
Instead of the 24 members provided for in the constitution, the elections committee had only six members — Barbra Chimboza (former magistrate and committee chairperson), Elias Hwenga (ZRCS secretary general), Wellington Magaya (ZRCS legal advisor, board member, ZRCS member of the grievances and disciplinary committee), Lewis Banda, Fortune Musindo and Tendai Chilowa from the Defence ministry.
“In any case how does for example, the secretary general, Hwenga, who is the CEO and chief accounting officer of the ZRCS become a member of the Elections Committee of the same organisation he is in charge of,” an insider said.
“It, therefore, means whatever election was conducted or authorised by this committee or its representatives is a nullity.”
Insiders also cited serious manipulation of the constitution by the elections committee, which allowed a lot of members who did not meet the minimum requirements of the constitution at branch, district and provincial levels to contest in the elections.
It is said in Mashonaland West province, for example, some members who made it to the district executive do not meet the minimum requirements of the constitution.
“For example in Kadoma, most of the district executive members are holders of village health worker and nurse aid certificates,” sources said.
“In Hurungwe district, only the chairperson and vice chairperson meet the minimum educational requirements of the constitution.
“The others are all holders of village health worker certificates.”
Article 33 of the ZRCS constitution requires post holders at district, provincial and national level to have a minimum of 5 'O' level passes and a national diploma.
The treasurer, according to Article 27.2 should have a minimum of 5 ''O" levels and a Diploma in Accounts or Finance related subjects.
Article 33 of the constitution requires one to have been a member for 3 years to be a district executive member.
“Some members in some districts had fraudulent membership receipts that bear the stamp of the ZRCS headquarters in Harare but are not signed by the officer who purportedly received the membership fees in their branches and districts,” another source said.
“The whole process is said to have been flawed right from the appointment of the elections committee and the whole election process in clear violation of the constitution. “
Most members who were elected from branches to the national level allegedly do not have the required minimum qualifications.
Some are said to have village health worker certificates, nurse aid certificates as their highest qualifications.
“Some have only a driver's licence while others have care giving certificates,” a source said.
This is against the provisions of Article 33 which sets 5 "O" level passes and a National Diploma as the minimum qualifications plus a minimum of two years consecutive membership at branch level.
“We are taking the issue to the parent ministry and our legal team is working on the petition,” added the source.
“We have overwhelming evidence against the SG and the former president which is in the form of e-mails, documents, videos and audios.”
The Standard established that Chaliyanika was pushed to take over the presidency since he is from Binga and is not in the proximity to monitor operations at the headquarters.
Mlambo on Friday refused to comment about his alleged involvement in the rigging of the elections when contacted for comment.
Hwenga did not respond to questions sent to him.
The ZRCS is one of the biggest humanitarian organisations in the country with over 20 000 volunteers dotted across all provinces, mainly in marginalised communities.
