MONTHS ahead of Zimbabwe’s planned general elections this year, many stakeholders have been demanding that the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec) be more transparent in its conduct in the spirit of its very own mandate to independently manage and administer Zimbabwe’s electoral processes with the sole aim to conduct credible elections and referendums in the southern African country.
Many a time in the past months Zec has somehow appeared to be haughtily plugging its ears to all voices of reason to the point of even “refusing” to provide to interested parties the voters roll to be used in this year’s elections.
And if unfolding events pertaining to the 2023 plebiscite’s electoral processes are anything to go by, whereby Zec’s delimitation report is being questioned and Members of Parliament (MPs) are demanding the voters roll to make an informed decision on the delimitation report, we can only hope and pray that Zec comes clean on this issue.
We hope and pray for this because it comes as somewhat disturbing that people are making serious allegations that the preliminary delimitation report tabled in Parliament last week “is not an act of Zec as a body corporate, at most it may be an act of the chairperson of the commission (Priscilla Chigumba) and her deputy (Rodney Simukai Kiwa)”, according to one individual Tonderai Chidawa, who has openly challenged the authenticity of the document.
MPs have, meanwhile, categorically stated that: “There can be absolutely no debate without the electronic voters roll sent to all members. We need access to the electronic voters roll to give us pure data and see exactly how the (delimitation) report was crafted.”
Given Zec’s previous shilly-shallying over releasing the voters roll in the wake of the fast closing window for the delimitation report to be adopted by January 28 as an authentic document to be used in this year’s elections, it remains to be seen how this whole circus will pan out.
We are, however, afraid to say that the current state of affairs regarding the delimitation report speaks to the opaqueness surrounding how Zec has been conducting its business regarding the forthcoming elections. If the esteemed electoral body had chosen to simply be professional and act independently, what is now transpiring might not even have materialised.
If it so happens that the delimitation report is rejected by Parliament as not authentic this will cause lasting damage to Zec, while its ability to conduct credible, free and fair polls this year will also be questioned.
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Even if the delimitation report is adopted, Zec’s reputation has already been dragged into the mud and its ability to conduct credible, free and fair polls this year will also be doubted by many.
We sincerely hope that this will be a lasting lesson to Zec to try its utmost best to always act professionally and independently in managing and administering Zimbabwe’s electoral processes to avoid such unpleasant embarrassments of being publicly scrutinised, flogged and accused of being involved in electoral chicaneries and monkeyshines.
This is the last thing a young democracy such as Zimbabwe needs.
