Disgruntled Faz agents the spill beans

Some Forever Associates Zimbabwe (Faz) polling agents are now talking openly about how Zanu PF used unorthodox tactics against its opponents to win the August 23 and 24 elections after their handlers failed to pay them for their role. Faz, a shadowy Zanu PF affiliate which has links to the Central Intelligence organisation (CIo), played a crucial role in mobilising votes for President emmerson mnangagwa’s re-election including intimidating voters.

The organisation put up tables at polling stations on election days where it was conducting exit polls by taking down names of voters to intimidate them to vote for Zanu PF.

This publication has established that some of the recruited agents, mostly village heads, were angry as they had not yet been paid the US$60, which had been promised for their services.

one aggrieved agent who cannot be named for fear of reprisals said he was recruited to work for Faz by virtue of him being a village head in Bikita West constituency.

Three Faz officials visited his homestead and told him that they needed him to snoop on fellow villagers.

“I had no choice,” he told The Standard. “In fact, it was an order for me to become a Faz agent.”

While most agents’ main duties were to record the voters at the polling stations, his main roles included snooping on opposition Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) candidates and supporters.

“I was told that as a village head my duty was to protect the interest of the government, which is led by Zanu PF,” he said.

“my duty was to report every detail of what would have transpired within the polling station, particularly activities by CCC members.

“I would collate information from other informants and report to the officials at the top. For the task, I was promised a stipend -$200, but the money never came.”

He told The Standard that he had to make back-and-forth trips on foot on election day from his polling station to a nearby mountain, about five kilometres away, to get connectivity to the gadget he was given by Faz so that he could give an update on events of the day.

He said Faz wanted information on voter turnout, suspected CCC supporters who refused to be assisted when voting, and also the conduct of the Zimbabwe electoral Commission polling officials.

“I don’t remember the number of trips that I made from the polling station where I was stationed to get to the mountain where there was the network signal for the gadget,” he said.

“But after all the hard work, I did not receive any cent from Faz.

“I have tried following up but to no avail. other agents in this locality also have the same grievances.”

Another Faz agent who was stationed in Bikita West constituency also told The Standard that she was suffering from isolation from community members.

The 29-year-old woman said she became a Faz agent because she wanted money.

“But the mistake I made is I became an agent at my home polling station where everyone could identify me,” she said.

“A lot of people had grievances against Faz agents because in some instances we informed the village heads or Zanu PF officials of the voters’ political affiliation and some people were questioned and victimised because of that.”

She added: “But I feel used because the money never came.”

The woman said she no longer felt comfortable being part of community groups and gatherings.

“People no longer feel free to associate with me,”she said.“They suspect me of spying on them.

“I am now mostly a loner, which is a very difficult life, especially in this rural setup that I am living in.

“I am part of various community co-operatives but I am no longer free to join others in those activities. I am like an outcast.”

Faz had at least 20 members per each of the 210 constituencies across the country, according to information availed by the organisation’s leader Kudakwashe munsaka (pictured).

Contacted for comment munsaka said: “If these are our agents from masvingo, I need to check with our officials in the province. Get back to me in 15 minutes and I will respond to your questions.”

munsaka was not picking up calls when subsequent efforts were made to get his comment.

Foreign and local election observers said Faz intimidated voters during the elections and this eroded the credibility of the polls. Zanu PF has, however, defended Faz.

The ruling party also deployed Faz to campaign for the party’s candidates in by-elections triggered by the recall of CCC legislators and councillors.