25,000 opposition votes invalidated Opposition ballot papers are often spoiled with an extra ink mark or fingerprint to make them invalid. The average percentage of invalid votes in our districts is 3%. So we assume any district with 6% or more invalid votes have seen significant fraud. Of our 138 districts, 20 have 6% or more invalid votes, going up to 11% in Nacala-a-Velha (Nampula) and N’gauma (Niassa). If we assume invalid votes over 3% in these districts have been stolen from the opposition, the number of stolen votes is 25,000.
Zumbo tension after Renamo murder
Following the murder of a prominent Renamo couple, fear has spread within the local population in Zumbo, Tete, and some are leaving the district for neighbouring Zambia. Others do not sleep at home for fear that something worse will happen, our correspondents report. Babula Jeque, head of the Renamo Women’s League in Tete, and her husband João Fenhane, were murdered on 14 October in Zumbo. Their bullet riddled bodies were only found on Friday 18 October in Mtongue. Family members and Renamo supporters went to the district administrator’s residence on Friday night to protest the couple’s murder. Police were called and fired three shots in the air to disperse people.
Renamo meeting today
Renamo’s Political Commission is meeting this morning (21 Oct) at Indy Village to consider its response to the elections.
