BY PROBLEM MASAU
THE embattled Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec) is as soon as once more entangled in a rigging storm amid allegations by some knowledge specialists that the electoral physique’s servers are being hosted by Africom, an organization believed to be owned by the military.
Fernhaven Investments (Private) Limited, an funding car of the Zimbabwe Defence Forces, is alleged to be the bulk shareholder in Africom.
This has added onto a myriad of different complaints on how Zec is administering elections, with opposition events not too long ago complaining that they weren’t given the voters rolls for the March 26 by-elections, whereas Zanu PF was allegedly given the voters roll which was in color and with footage.
Zec dismissed the allegation that Africom, a number one converged communication service supplier, was internet hosting their servers.
However, the electoral administration physique did not show that it has another host. “Zec has no server hosted by any exterior organisation, together with Africom,” Zec spokesperson Jasper Mangwana advised NewsDay yesterday.
But knowledge specialists Team Pachedu insisted that there was overwhelming proof that Zec servers have been being hosted by Africom.
“When the Zec web site was hacked on August 1, 2018, forensic specialists investigated. They discovered that Zec was hosted on an Africom server, IP 41.57.65.19, sharing internet hosting with different websites like netguardsec.com. Shared internet hosting means the server was not at Zec,” Team Pachedu stated.
“The web site was developed in a rush by Africom and uploaded on the Africom area zec.org.zw, not the standard authorities’s zec.gov.zw. The code Africom used was recycled and had important safety flaws. This made hacking straightforward.
“The identical shared server that Africom hosted the Zec website in 2018, 41.57.65.19 is similar server that was being utilized by the simply deleted sub-area coaching.zec.org.zw. This server is at the moment internet hosting 54 web sites, confirming Zec shouldn’t be internet hosting it, however Africom.”
Army spokesperson Colonel Alphios Makotore dismissed the allegations saying the military doesn’t run elections.
“Talk to Zec, the military doesn’t run elections in Zimbabwe. You have known as the unsuitable place. I don’t work at Zec or Africom,” Makotore stated.
Listed Africom numbers weren’t getting by way of yesterday.
Exiled former Information minister Jonathan Moyo, in his e-book Excelgate: How Zimbabwe’s 2018 Presidential Election Was Stolen, claimed that the “brazen operation to audaciously rig the outcome” was carried out by raiding the Zec election server and “inventing an illegal route, and vacation spot for the collation, compilation, and transmission of the [presidential] outcome, by way of operational liaison with Africom for server networking and servicing”.
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https://www.newsday.co.zw/2022/04/zec-in-server-storm/
