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Gweru- As the recount of ballots for the March election continues little by little in the Midlands Province -and elsewhere across the country- there are reports that in some places, people from across the political divide are agreeing on the original results and are describing the process as a waste of time and resources.

Some officials from both the Movement for Democratic Change and Zanu PF parties who spoke on condition of anonymity said that for the four Mberengwa constituencies -Mberengwa East, Mberengwa West, Mberengwa North and Mberengwa South- for polling stations where recounts have been made so far, there has been agreement by both parties that the original results announced by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission were correct. The officials said they see no point in continuing with the recount process, describing it as a waste of both time and money.

However, at the Gweru Polytechnic, some MDC officials who requested anonymity expressed concern over problems in one particular constituency, the Silobela constituency. They said there were several problems including that of suspected tampering with ballot boxes as they said some materials that were not supposed to be in the boxes were found in the boxes.

Meanwhile, sources say that some people wearing the police's Support Unit uniform went on a rampage and assaulted members of the public in Zvishavane town on Sunday. The sources said the assaults were carried out around the town from 7pm onwards after some suspected Zanu PF youth militia had earlier on been involved in scuffles with some members of the public at the Mandava Bus Terminus in the town's Mandava high density suburb.

Midlands Provincial manager Peter Muchengeti of the Zimbabwe Civic Education Trust (ZIMCET) confirmed receiving reports from the organisation's peace-building coordinators in Zvishavane.

'Indeed we have received quite disturbing reports from our animators in Zvishavane and Mberengwa of people being assaulted indiscriminately by people in police uniform in Zvishavane yesterday. Our animators are people who work with peace committee structures within the districts of Zimbabwe and their job is to help liaise with stakeholders and peace committees in the promotion of peace within their communities.'

Muchengeti said the run-up to the March elections was generally peaceful because Zimbabweans are a peace-loving people, and are now being provoked by those who are supposed to be responsible for upholding peace.

Muchengeti said 'It seems people who are supposed to be upholding peace and tranquillity are the ones who are disturbing peace and our peace committees are finding it difficult to function in their normal way�because our peace committees are people who come from both Zanu PF and MDC and other interested stakeholders and they had embraced this concept and it was working quite well to the advantage of Zimbabweans.'

There are fears from many quarters that the continued unwarranted assault of civilians by soldiers and police could end up with civilians retaliating, which could result in widespread violence like that witnessed in Kenya after the elections. Ends///