Zimbabwean Born Mayoral Candidate, Midzi, Jailed in Australia for Rigging Elections
Zimbabwean-born Jaison Midzi has been sentenced to over nine months in prison for attempting to rig 2022 South Australian council elections. Read the court's ruling on his appeal.
Harry Taruva 
Sydney - Zimbabwean-born Jaison Midzi, (45) was sentenced to nine months and 14 days in prison on Tuesday, February 34, 2026 for attempting to rig the 2022 South Australian council elections.
Midzi pleaded guilty to 10 counts of dishonestly exercising a vote under the Local Government Act of 1999.
The court heard that Midzi, a former Mayoral candidate for the City of Marion, faked approximately 490 ballot papers not to win, but to "save face" because he was embarrassed by his low vote count.
The irregularities were caught by the Electoral Commission of South Australia (ECSA) when scrutineers noticed a pattern of similar handwriting and missing dates of birth on declaration envelopes.
Despite his counsel's request for a suspended sentence or fine, the Magistrate imposed a custodial sentence to maintain the integrity of the democratic process.
Midzi immediately lodged an appeal against the sentence.
