Share

'I'm not in a sexual relationship with a presidential candidate': Zim election boss

The head of Zimbabwe's electoral commission has denied she is in a sexual relationship with one of the country's 23 presidential candidates, an allegation that had raised questions over her impartiality.

In a live interview with Harare-based radio station Capitalk Priscilla Chigumba said: "I am not in any sexual relationship or any relationship whatsoever which has the potential or is likely to jeopardise my ability to discharge my functions."

She told presenter Ruvheneko Parirenyatwa: "To answer you very expressly: I am not in a sexual relationship with a presidential candidate."

Earlier, former Sunday Mail editor Edmund Kudzayi tweeted that Chigumba should resign because of "a private sexual relationship" that hindered her neutrality as head of the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC).

See tweets below

After Chigumba's denial, Kudzayi persisted with his allegations, alleging Chigumba was in a relationship with a married member of President Emmerson Mnangagwa's cabinet.

He has vowed to publish a full story on Wednesday.

With elections just two weeks away, Chigumba has come under fire from opposition supporters for failing to ensure transparency over the commission's work. Public anger against her mounted late last week after it was alleged that police officers in Bulawayo had been forced to vote in front of their commanding officers.

But in Monday's radio interview Chigumba said her commission had received no complaints from any police officer being forced to vote openly. She defended herself against her critics saying: "I must balance being nice, being liked and simply telling the truth."

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Do you think corruption-accused National Assembly Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula will survive a motion of no confidence against her?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
No, her days are numbered
41% - 434 votes
Yes, the ANC caucus will protect her
59% - 622 votes
Vote
Rand - Dollar
18.93
-0.0%
Rand - Pound
23.90
+0.0%
Rand - Euro
20.40
+0.1%
Rand - Aus dollar
12.32
+0.1%
Rand - Yen
0.13
+0.0%
Platinum
908.05
+1.2%
Palladium
1,014.94
+1.3%
Gold
2,232.75
-0.0%
Silver
24.95
-0.1%
Brent Crude
87.00
+1.8%
Top 40
68,346
0.0%
All Share
74,536
0.0%
Resource 10
57,251
0.0%
Industrial 25
103,936
0.0%
Financial 15
16,502
0.0%
All JSE data delayed by at least 15 minutes Iress logo
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE