HARARE – A Zimbabwe teachers’ union said on Monday several of its members who served as poling officers have been abducted at night by suspected state agents and forced to confess that they helped rig elections in favour of the opposition.

The Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ) – one of two unions that represent the country’s teachers – urged teachers to vacate schools for their own safety once they suspect they are being targeted or threats have been made against them.

"Teachers who were presiding officers are being abducted, in the middle of the night and forced to write sworn statements to the effect that they rigged elections," PTUZ secretary general Raymond Majongwe said.

"Our advice to teachers is that vacate the school once political threats are uttered. Never take chances, the country is full of blood thirsty ninjas and vampires.”

Police have over the past four weeks cracked down on polling officials, arresting scores of officials they accuse of conniving with the opposition to deny President Robert Mugabe and his ZANU PF party victory in last month’s joint presidential and parliamentary elections.

Some of the polling officials, among them several teachers, have been brought to court on charges of electoral fraud. However, a recount of votes in 23 constituencies revealed minor inconsistencies in tallying of votes that the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) said were not enough to alter the opposition’s electoral victory.

The ZEC is yet to issue results of the presidential vote but ZANU PF party and independent observers acknowledge that Mugabe lost to opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai, although they say a second round of voting is required to settle the contest.

Analysts and the opposition Movement for Democratic Change party say the crackdown against polling officials and resurgent political violence across Zimbabwe are both well calculated to cow the voting officers and voters themselves to back Mugabe in the run-off against Tsvangirai. – ZimOnline.