Robert Mugabe’s government on Thursday slashed the number of accredited Zimbabwean election observers, further heightening fears that the result of next week’s run-off presidential poll will be manipulated.

During the first round in March, the 8,800 independent monitors from the Zimbabwe Election Support Network collated information posted outside the more than 9,000 polling stations – a process which, according to Noel Kututwa, its chairman, was “critical” in curbing distortions to the final tally.