A presiding officer at one of the polling stations in Nyanga constituency collapsed and died during the course of his duties on Thursday afternoon.

Chairman of the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) Justice George Chiweshe said the commission regretted to announce the presiding officer's death.

In another incident, at Sikumbi polling station in Binga, Matabeleland North, province polling started almost two hours late after four charging buffaloes invaded the polling station.

Justice Chiweshe said the situation only calmed after officers from the National Parks and Wildlife Authority were called to drive the wild animals away.

In Bulawayo, a polling station at Iselby farm opened at 8:30 a.m. instead of the normal time because there were no polling agents for the contesting parties had arrived then.

However, they later arrived and voting kicked off peacefully.

Chiweshe said most polling stations opened at 7 (0500 GMT) in the morning as scheduled and closed again on time at 7 p.m. (1700 GMT).

He said according to the Electoral Act, people who would be in the queue as at 7 p.m. would be allowed to vote.

Source: Xinhua