ZESN UPDATE

1 November 2017 – The Zimbabwe Election Support Network (ZESN) is observing Phase 2 of the Biometric Voter Registration (BVR) exercise which commenced on 29 October 2017. 

Highlights of observations under Phase 1:

Comprehensive deployment to all registration centres
Intimidation of registrants and observers
Inadequate voter education and mobilisation
Challenges with services of Commissioners of Oath who were not always present at most registration centres
 Low youth turnout nationwide

Advocacy Initiatives with ZEC

ZESN has engaged the ZEC on issues arising from the BVR process since its commencement in early October. ZESN wrote six letters to ZEC between the 11th and the 24th of October appreciating ZEC’s efforts in the BVR process and also bringing attention to issues of concern noted from observation of the process. These issues include the denial of ZESN observers into registration centres, the need to provide clarity on ZEC’s plans to counter misinformation during the BVR process, the need to provide clarity of data transmission procedures, the shortage of material like VR 9 forms and equipment failure at some registration centres, reported cases of the intimidation of registrants and requests for voter registration statistics.

 

The following update is based on observations by observers deployed countrywide under Phase 2.

 

Phase 2 Update 1

Commissioners of Oath

During the first phase of the voter registration process, ZESN continued to observe that Commissioners of Oaths were not present at most registration centres thus resulting in potential registrants in need of  their services returning home without registering. Having reported the various challenges that registrants faced regarding the proof of residence requirement, ZESN welcomes the proposal by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) to have the ZEC supervisors accorded Commissioner of Oaths status as this will help in facilitating the registration of citizens requiring affidavits. However ZESN is of the view that the same facility should be extended to registration officials as these are the officials that are permanently stationed at the registration centers across the country.

Pre-filling of Affidavit forms

ZESN has received numerous reports of political leaders such as Members of Parliament, Ward Councillors and Traditional leaders distributing the pre-signed affidavits especially on partisan lines. The pre-filling of the affidavits needs to be investigated by ZEC and the Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission (ZHRC) given that this is one of the factors that have fueled incidents of intimidation where registrants are given the pre-filled affidavits and asked to submit serial numbers on their registration slips. For instance, in Ward 17 and 19 Murehwa South, Rushinga Ward 4, traditional leaders are giving out proof of residence forms on the condition that once registered, the registrants will submit the serial numbers of their voter registration slips to the traditional leaders. Similar incidents have been reported at Iminyela Centre in Mpopoma where councillors were issuing out pre-signed affidavits and also recording serial numbers.

Challenges with BVR Kits

At the commencement of the Phase 2, ZESN received a significant number of reports of some registration centres failing to open due to the late arrival of registration officials and kits. In instances where the BVR kits arrived on time registration was unable to commence because the kits were not charged. For instance such reports were received from Zvishavane Ward 8 at Nyaradzai Hall, Mberengwa East Ward 5 and Mberengwa South Ward 27 the kits were not fully charged resulting in potential registrants being turned away as the kits were being charged.  In Mberengwa East Ward 3 at Chemimwe, people did not register because the registration officials arrived around 6pm on 29 October 2017. In Nyanga South ward 28, the BVR kit only registered 2 people on the 31st of October before the kit experienced challenges with its power source. 

Observers denied access to centres

Some accredited ZESN observers were denied access into registration centres by Ward registration supervisors insisting that they first report at the District offices.  Observers were denied access in Zvishavane at Nyaradzai Hall in ward 8, Lundi Hospital in Ward 10 and Weleza in Ward 13 as well as at Thekwane High School in Bulilima East. ZESN through its member organisation the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights engaged ZEC resulting in the observers being allowed into the centres. ZEC should ensure that its officers facilitate the observation of electoral processes including voter registration exercise as this is crucial for promoting transparency and credibility of electoral processes. 

Statistics of Phase 1 turnout

At the end of Phase 1, ZEC indicated that they registered approximately 1.2 million people, with ZESN observer reports indicating that the time taken to process registrants has improved as the operators are becoming more acquainted with the system. It is however  imperative that  the electoral Commission avails the number of registered voters for each ward under phase 1 which is disaggregated by age and sex to enable targeted voter education and mobilization by stakeholders such as CSOs, political parties and ZEC voter education department.

Recommendations

1.       The ZHRC and ZEC must investigate the incidents of intimidation of registrants and the distribution of pre-filled affidavits by political parties and traditional leaders.

2.       ZESN urges ZEC to ensure that the BVR kits are fully charged before they are transported at the conclusion of each phase.

3.      There is need for standardization of operations for all BVR Ward Supervisors with regards to how they relate with observers to ensure that there are no obstructions to the work of observers during the registration process.

4.  Statistics of registered voters should be availed on a daily basis to observers and interested stakeholders as a way of enhancing transparency and accountability. The electoral Commission should even consider printing and posting daily registration statistics at each registration centre disaggregated per ward by sex and age.

Facebook: Zimbabwe Election Support Network (ZESN) |Twitter handle:@ZESN1

Website: www.zesn.org.zw

#register2vote #BVRZW #usasarire #ungasaleli

PROMOTING DEMOCRATIC ELECTIONS IN ZIMBABWE

ZESN Chairperson Mr Andrew Makoni: +263772234891

ZESN Vice-Chairperson Mr Dumisani Nkomo: +263779617926  

ZESN Director Mrs Rindai Chipfunde Vava: +263712415902

zesn2011@zesn.net, info@zesn.net

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Update from Zimbabwe Election Support Network

20 October 2017 – The Zimbabwe Election Support Network (ZESN) continues to observe Phase One of the Biometric Voter Registration exercise in all 10 provinces of the country. There are six days left before the close of voter registration under Phase One and ZESN has made the following observations over the past seven days: Misinformation on the BVR process ZESN has received reports of intimidation, especially in rural areas, whereby registrants are being misinformed about the BVR and its purpose. Potential registrants are being informed that having registered using the system it is possible to know who they will vote for in the 2018 elections. These cases were reported in Mudzi North Ward 1, Murewa North Ward 4 and Muzarabani Ward 3 among other areas. ZESN notes that the misinformation and intimidation of citizens is a serious violation of the right to free participation in electoral process that threatens the credibility of the whole electoral process. In addition, ZESN has received reports of registrants being forced to submit their names and details such as serial numbers of voter registration slips to Ward chairpersons and other community leaders as a way of intimidating them into believing that their voting choices will be traceable in the 2018 election. ZESN therefore urges ZEC to conduct comprehensive voter education and information to ensure that citizens are well informed about the BVR process to demystify some of these shenanigans by politicians. Lack of required documentation ZESN observers have reported cases of people failing to register in areas such as Matebeleland provinces and other remote areas because they do not have birth certificates and national IDs. ZESN urges the government to consider waivering the fees for obtaining birth certificates in order to facilitate easy acquisition of National IDs by potential registrants especially in remote areas. Turned away registrants ZESN observed that some citizens intending to register were turned away on the basis of presenting defaced identity documents, for being ‘Aliens’, failure to produce proof of residence and producing wrong form of identification such as drivers’ licenses. The government must adequately publicize the procedures for regularizing the citizenship status of citizens classified as ‘Aliens’ to enable them to register to vote. Mobile registration centres Whilst ZESN appreciates the setting up of mobile registration centres at places like the Parliament of Zimbabwe building, old people’s homes, hospitals and institutions housing people with disabilities; the Network calls upon ZEC to adequately publicize the facilities in all the 10 provinces to ensure that eligible citizens can register to vote. Issues with proof of residence and Voter Registration Affidavits The Network continues to observe that ZEC Commissioners of Oaths are not always available at registration centres resulting in citizens requiring this service either returning home without registering or being charged for the commissioning of their affidavits. Instances of challenges with proof of residence were reported in Nyanga North Ward 5 Kambarami village, the Village Head is reported to be demanding that villagers who require proof of residence pay $5. Turnout According to statistics released by the ZEC, as of 19 October 2017, a total of 814,181 people had registered at 1890 registration centres under Phase One. ZESN has also observed that significantly high numbers have been recorded in areas like Harare and Midlands while areas like Matebeleland provinces have experienced very low turnout. ZESN observed that at Sinansengwe Business centre in Binga North ward 4 not a single person presented themselves at the registration centre on 19 October 2017. Low turnout figures were also recorded in Mashonaland East at Shamba Dip tank in Maramba Pfungwe Ward 6, only two people registered on 18 October, while at Kanzire Primary School in the same ward, only one person registered. Yesterday, at Maramba Primary school, 60 people; males 28 males and 32 females registered. Some centres that recorded high turnout yesterday are as follows: Seke Primary School in Chitungwiza South Ward 18, 252 (190 were female and 62 male), at Remembrance Hall in Mbare, 217 registered (167 female and 50 male). In Midlands at Chinyenyetu Primary School Gokwe Nembudziya, 164 people were registered on 18 and 19 October 2017. Efficiency of the registration process: At registration centres where ZESN has observers, ZEC registration officials are reported to be following the stipulated registration steps including correctly capturing the biometric features of fingerprints and facial photographs. At most of the centres, most of the registrants were successfully issued with voter registration slips at the end of the process. ZESN received reports of challenges with the process at Mashumba Tent Ward 8 in Bulawayo Central where names of registered people disappeared from the kit resulting in officers calling upon technicians retrieve the information which was successfully done. ZESN notes that there is no uniformity in the provision of registration statistics by registration officials with some referring observers to the provincial supervisors for daily statistics. BVR Kit malfunction ZESN received some reports of kits malfunction at some of the centres. On 19 October at Sango centre in Zengeza West Ward 12, the BVR kit number 0619 malfunctioned and despite efforts by the technicians to fix the challenge was said to be requiring a new power box. In Chipinge South Ward 28 at Chusuma Primary school, the BVR kit broke down and had to be taken for repairs, it stopped the registration process for the rest of the day and potential registrants eventually gave up and went back home after waiting for two or more hours. Another incident of kit malfunction was reported at Musikawamatanda in Ward 4 Chiredzi West on 18 October 2017. ZESN urges the ZEC to publicize procedures outlining how incidents such as kit failure and malfunctions are to be dealt with including protocols for data backup for malfunctioning kits. Missing Constituency on BVR database The Member of Parliament for Mudzi South has challenged ZEC to include his constituency on the BVR database having noted that it was missing under all the four phases. The electoral Commission is reported to be in the process of rectifying the anomaly that was highlighted by the MP. Conclusion ZESN reiterates its calls for citizens to turn out in their numbers and participate in this vital process. In addition, the creation of a conducive electoral environment will ensure the full enjoyment of fundamental freedoms and eliminate political and intimidation of voters. ZEC must amplify efforts in providing comprehensive and inclusive voter education and mobilisation for voter registration to increase participation and demystify the myths surrounding the BVR process. Facebook: Zimbabwe Election Support Network (ZESN) Twitter handle:@ZESN1 Website: www.zesn.org.zw #register2vote #BVRZW #usasarire #ungasaleli PROMOTING DEMOCRATIC ELECTIONS IN ZIMBABWE ZESN Chairperson Mr Andrew Makoni: +263772234891 ZESN Vice-Chairperson Mr Dumisani Nkomo: +263779617926 ZESN Director Mrs Rindai Chipfunde Vava: +263712415902 zesn2011@zesn.net, info@zesn.net

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Police attack on tobacco farmers condemned

Mon, 08 May 2017

STAFF WRITER  •  8 May 2017

HARARE - Police should stop using heavy-handed methods when dealing with Zimbabweans who would be peacefully demanding their dues such as was the case with tobacco farmers last week, Heal Zimbabwe (HZT) has said.

In a statement, the peace building organisation said the way police beat up and tear-gassed farmers who were demonstrating at the Tobacco Sales Floors (TSF) after failing to get their money, was uncalled for.

“Heal Zimbabwe strongly condemns the violent attack on tobacco farmers by riot police at Tobacco Sales Floors in Harare on 4 May, 2017. A farmer who spoke on condition of anonymity to Heal Zimbabwe testified that riot police refused to entertain any grievances that the farmers highlighted.

“Heal Zimbabwe notes that the use of brute force to disperse and crush demonstrations is not only barbaric but an infringement of human rights and violates Section 59 of the Zimbabwe Constitution which states that, ‘every person has the right to demonstrate and present a petition’,” the organisation said.

With most farmers now trapped in Harare and failing to get back to their homes due to the biting liquidity crunch, HZT, said it is expected that people would express their displeasure with the authorities.

“The police as custodians of the law must take it as a priority to protect and promote the enjoyment of fundamental human rights and freedoms by citizens such as freedom to petition or demonstrate.

“The government must rather move in to address the current economic problems affecting the country by implementing sound economic policies that enhance and attract investments and promote foreign currency injection,” the organisation said, further imploring the police to use peaceful means in resolving conflicts.

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Mnangagwa's 'fumigation' rant draws fire

Tue, 25 Apr 2017

Blessings Mashaya  

HARARE - Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s claim that the ruling party is “fumigating” elements bent on weakening it ahead of the 2018 harmonised elections has angered some people who claim that the statement reminds them of the Gukurahundi killings of innocent civilians in the early 1980s.

This comes as Mnangagwa’s name has been mentioned regularly in association with the massacres. But in a recent interview with a British newspaper, the VP vehemently denied the accusations saying at the time of the killings there was a commander in chief of the army and so he could not have issued orders as a mere minister.

Speaking at the burial of the late Zanu PF Midlands deputy provincial chairperson, Kizito Chivamba, over the weekend, Mnangagwa said Zanu PF was currently in the process of dealing with all people who are causing problems in the party.

“Chivamba has gone at a time when the party is internally fumigating itself from elements bent on weakening and destabilising it ahead of the 2018 elections.

“It is in this spirit that I call upon all those he has left behind to remain united as we gear ourselves towards victory in the 2018 elections,” Mnangagwa said.

“Chivamba was like Job of the Bible. He was accused of a lot of things when he was in the party, which led to his suspension. However, the truth later prevailed and he was cleared. This is because the truth is like light — it prevails over darkness,” he added.

The comments have since drawn the ire of the opposition, human rights groups as well as some of his colleagues in the ruling party.

“While it does  not concern us  how Zanu PF deals with its internal issues, however, as the ruling party, we can only assume that the way it deals with such issues reflects the manner it solves national issues so for me it doesn’t surprise me,” former National Healing minister Moses Mzila-Ndlovu, said.

“It’s the kind of statement that we condemn. When you talk of fumigating you are talking about killing,” he said.

Mzila-Ndlovu said Zimbabweans must also take the blame “for taking this nonsense quietly and failing to act”.

“We have seen the destruction of property. He (Mnangagwa) has never known any consequence for his behaviour. He knows that he can be arrogant without any consequence at the end.

“The role of government is to protect people, but they are doing the opposite. I find it unforgivable if Zanu PF wants to live with that, it shows that they are acting like zombies,” he said.

Mnangagwa has denied the allegations that he stoked tensions during the Gukurahundi era, after he was said to have uttered words to the effect that dissidents were cockroaches that required the use of DDT.

Still, ZimRights director Okay Machisa said Mnangagwa must apologise for using that language.

“If you talk about fumigating you are talking of killing. It’s not good language. There are so many words that fit into what he wants to do . . . fumigating . . . you are killing in large numbers,” Machisa said.

“It reminds people of Gukurahundi. As Zimbabweans, we need to refrain from using such language. Whether it’s Zanu PF or opposition parties, there is need to deal with differences peacefully. I call upon the vice president to use language that promotes unity among people of Zimbabwe,” he added.

Zanu PF politburo member Jonathan Moyo also joined the bandwagon, firing brickbats at Mnangagwa on social media for using the controversial word.

“Zanu PF fumigating itself. Use of the word ‘fumigating’ is as most unfortunate as it is revealing!” Moyo tweeted.

“Fumigation is a method of pest control that completely fills an area with gaseous pesticides — or fumigants — to suffocate the pest with the poison within,” he added.

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Zimbabwe's stolen dream

Wed, 19 Apr 

Zimbabweans from all walks of life yesterday bemoaned the wretched life that they continue to endure under President Robert Mugabe and his warring Zanu-PF's misrule of the past 37 years of the country's independence from Britain.

This comes as Zimbabwe's economy continues to die - as manifested by rising poverty levels and joblessness, as well as the worsening cash crisis which has heightened fears that the country could soon hit the disastrous lows of 2008.

Many of the people who spoke to the Daily News said the prevailing economic situation in the country was making it difficult for them to appreciate the country's independence.

"The political independence we got has to a large extent been derailed because it is only a few people who are benefitting from it in terms of employment. Everything went wrong after independence.

"After 1980, the wealth of the country was not shared equitably, with those in power sharing everything with their cronies.

"There is general economic paralysis while service delivery is very poor. That is the reason why people are not happy. Things are just not working at all," former Cabinet minister and liberation struggle stalwart, Rugare Gumbo, said.

Opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai's MDC also accused Mugabe and Zanu-PF of "completely ruining" a once prosperous economy through corruption and their destructive policies.

"Although we achieved political independence, we have dismally failed to build a united nation. On the economic front, it has been a disastrous 37 years because we have seen Zimbabwe degenerating from being the bread basket of southern Africa into a basket case, where more than 75 percent of the population is living in abject poverty.

"We have also allowed corruption to take root in all the facets of our lives. Going forward, we should strive to unite the people by seeking to build strong institutions as opposed to building strong personalities," MDC spokesperson Obert Gutu told the Daily News.

Zimbabwe is currently deep in the throes of a ginormous economic crisis which has seen tens of thousands of desperate ordinary citizens besieging banks on a daily basis seeking to withdraw their money.

The shortages of cash have since forced the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) to set the maximum limit for cash-back facilities by retailers and wholesalers at $20, as authorities desperately try to mitigate the worsening crisis.

At the same time, economists have told the Daily News that poverty levels in the country are skyrocketing, with average incomes now at their lowest levels in more than 60 years - and with more than 76 percent of the country's families now having to make do with pitiful incomes that are well below the poverty datum line of more than $500.

Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association (ZNLWVA) political commissar, Francis Nhando, said yesterday that "the tragedy of Zimbabwe" was that when Mugabe was elected the country's leader in 1980, he had allegedly continued to use Rhodesian policies.

"People misinterpreted what (the late Rhodesian prime minister Ian) Smith meant when he said not in a 1 000 years.

"What he actually meant is that the interests of black people would not be achieved in a thousand years and that the interests of white people would continue to reign.

"As things stand, we have a perpetuation of the ... Smith rule. This is why you will never see white people in bank queues or in kombis (commuter omnibuses), or in high density suburbs ... which all means that we are still living in the Smith era," Nhando said.

Mugabe - the only leader that Zimbabweans have ever known since the country got its independence from Britain in 1980 - stands accused of ruining the once-vibrant economy through bad policies.

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A call for peaceful demonstations

UMA- Fellow countrymen let us take heed of the call for peaceful demonstrations. Let us emulate the ways of Martin Luther King, Mahatma Gandhi, the Dalai Lama and all those that advocate for peaceful resistance.Let us respect life, let us respect property and above all let us respect the rule of law lest we become one with that which we are fighting against!

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Mphoko tables peace deal

Mphoko tables Peace Bill


UMA- Vice President Phelekezela Mphoko, who is also responsible for national healing, yesterday tabled the new National Peace and Reconciliation Bill in the National Assembly after it was withdrawn from Parliament last year.The Bill was withdrawn following its rejection by the Parliamentary Legal Committee and members of the public. The PLC had rejected the Bill, saying it undermined the independence of the National Peace and Reconciliation Commission by conferring too much power on the parent ministry.

Following its tabling in the National Assembly yesterday, the Bill was immediately referred to the PLC.

In the new Bill, the minister will no longer demand reports from the Commission, with that responsibility now falling under Parliament. The Commission will also no longer need to get approval from the minister if they want to receive funds from other sources, but would just need to consult him or her.

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Eu slams CSOs' silence on Zim's imploding economy

Philip Van Damme

HARARE - The European Union (EU) has slammed civil society organisations (CSOs) for turning a blind eye on Zimbabwe’s imploding economy that is causing untold suffering of the masses.

The union’s envoy to Zimbabwe, Philippe Van Damme, pictured, said the CSOs were all buttoning their lips as they watch the country face a number of headwinds including a lack of investment flows, crippling cash shortages, a collapsing health sector and grinding poverty.

This comes at a time masses are increasingly getting hard-pressed and social problems are more acute than ever, with many getting poorer and more beleaguered.

Yet civil society’s outrage is muted.

“The voice of civil society organisations is weak,” Van Damme told civil society and the media at a discussion forum convened by Misa-Zimbabwe last weekend.

“Of course, people speak out notably on human rights issues, but on developmental issues, and on policy issues, your voice is hardly heard,” he said.

“I do not see much of the debate in the media on policy issues, but I see a lot of debate on factionalism and speculative politics. But on developmental issues such as how to address health issues and the sustainable development goals, I hardly see people putting substantial contributions.”

This comes after Zimbabwe’s projection of a higher economic growth of 3,7 percent this year, from an initial projection of 1,7 percent on the back of a better agriculture season, has been rubbished by a leading think-tank — NKC African Economics.

The Cape Town-based research firm said it still deems its projection for real GDP to contract by 1,7 percent this year, as appropriate at this stage.

This comes after Finance minister Patrick Chinamasa told military officers attending Joint Command and Staff Course Number 30 at Zimbabwe Staff College on Thursday in Harare, that the agricultural sector is set to perform strongly on the back of a projected three million tonne grain crop, the highest since 1984, according to official data.

Chinamasa’s optimistic revision is closer to the World Bank’s forecast of 3,8 percent.

“That said, in comparison to our own and the International Monetary Fund (IMF)’s projections, the government and the World Bank are especially optimistic,” NKC — a subsidiary of UK-based economic advisory firm Oxford Economics — said.

However, the civil society groups said they wanted to speak out more but were stifled by the repressive Public Order and Security Act (Posa), used to smother freedom of expression, association and movement by authorities. 

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Zanu PF councillor order government distributed maize to be given to party members alone

Heal Zimbabwe Trust has reported that recently in Buhera West ward 10a councillor told the villagers that the food being distributed by government in the area would be given to Zanu PF members only.The trust said on February 23, Councillor Garikai Marova held a meeting at Chief Chimombe's residence and announced that the maize that he received from Ministry of Public Service, Labour and Social Welfare to distribute to community members was going to be distributed to Zanu PF supporters only.

"He also said that if opposition party supporters wanted to receive the maize, they should purchase Zanu PF membership cards that cost $3," said the trust."Councillor Marova also announced that all Village heads should compile names of all suspected opposition party members from their wards and submit to him."

 Efforts to get a comment from Councillor Seremwe were fruitless as his mobile phone was switched off.

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Zanu PF legislator threaten villagers with starvation if they do not vote his party in 2018

Mt Darwin West Legislator Banwell Seremwe has threatened villagers with starvation and violence if they do not vote for his party Zanu PF in the 2018 elections.The MP made the threats in Mt Darwin ward 36.

Heal Zimbabwe Trust reported that on the 28th of February 2017, Mt Darwin West Legislator, Banwell Seremwe threatened people in his constituency with violence and food aid withdrawal in case Zanu PF loses elections in 2018.

"At a meeting held at Dotito Rural Council, Seremwe said that if people vote for the opposition party, Zimbabwe People First (ZimPF) in the 2018 elections, they will be denied food aid," said the trust.

"He also threatened people with violence if they fail to vote for Zanu PF in the 2018 elections," said the trust.

Efforts to contact Hon Seremwe were fruitless as his mobile phone was not reachable.

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Zanu-PF stifles Khupe's aid efforts

Shared via biNu Zim News app: Zanu-PF stifles Khupe's aid efforts - http://bulawayo24.com/index-id-news-sc-national-byo-105855.html

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International Women's Day

Shared via biNu Zim News app: International Women's Day: Honour Violence in Zimbabwe - http://bulawayo24.com/index-id-opinion-sc-columnist-byo-105859.html

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News from Civil Society

News from Civil Society

Vendors Initiative for Social and Economic Transformation, in collaboration with the Combined Harare Residents Association and the Zimbabwe Chamber of Informal Economy Association, held its fourth community engagement meeting with the Vendors and the Residents in Harare CBD yesterday to map strategies to arrest the outbreak and spread of typhoid. Over 150 vendors and residents attended. There was consensus amongst the participants that there is no discernible nexus between the vending activities and the outbreak of typhoid. Participants took turns to lament the use of vendors by government as scapegoats for its failure to provide water, sanitation and hygiene services which has resulted in the outbreak of typhoid. The vendors bemoaned that the government and the Local Authorities have relegated the vendors to the periphery of public priorities and have become monsters who habitually trample on their livelihoods, flagrantly violating their constitutional right to decent work, dignity, food and life. / The Chitungwiza Residents Trust (Chitrest) expresses its utmost disgust over the manner in which the Health Services Board (HSB) and the Government of Zimbabwe are handling the ongoing strike by public health practitioners. Doctors and nurses at public health institutions are demanding a reconsideration of their working conditions. The strike by doctors from public hospitals citing poor working conditions and the government’s reluctance to fulfill its obligation on paying them their 13th cheque for 2016 started in Harare last month. The doctors and nurses from Chitungwiza’s public hospitals have since joined the striking doctors over related concerns. / The Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition (CiZC) notes, with regret, escalating cases of violent attacks targeted at foreign nationals living in South Africa. We are particularly worried with the situation unfolding in the Pretoria and Johannesburg, where a number of foreign nationals, including Zimbabweans, have suffered physical and psychological harm. We are of the view that instability in many African countries, a direct consequence of weak democratic culture, is at the heart of the forced migration many Africans have to take in order to escape persecution, poverty and lack of opportunity. Hence, we continue to plead with African governments to be more democratic and responsive so that citizens can meaningfully contribute to their own development, in their own countries. Aspirations of regional and continental integration can only be met if we are all moving together in one direction. We urge South African authorities to shun issuing xenophobic sentiments. We urge them to urgently deploy adequate resources and put in place measures aimed at protecting human life, regardless of nationality. The Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition will continue to work with various stakeholders, including the South African government and civil society establishments in finding a lasting solution to threats of xenophobia. / As part of its efforts towards strengthening the capacity of communities to monitor, report and take action against corruption, maladministration and bad governance, theAnti-Corruption Trust of Southern Africa has set up additional Anti-Corruption Monitoring Voluntary Action in Bulawayo, Beitbridge, Victoria Falls, Mutare, Harare and Chinhoyi. / Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights reports that High Court Judge Justice Esther Muremba on Wednesday 22 February 2017 issued an ultimatum ordering a Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) officer to return a driver’s licence which he had confiscated from a motorist two years ago as inducement to coerce him to pay a spot fine. Andrew Makunura, a Harare motorist, who is employed as a registered general nurse by the National Blood Transfusion Services, had his driver’s licence confiscated by Constable Agrippa Chinyama, a ZRP officer, at a roadblock mounted by the police along High Glen road in Harare on 12 February 2015 as he was driving his children to school and taking his wife, Tafadzwa Kajasi to work. 

 

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ICG: Zanu PF By-Election Victory Signals Serious Problems in 2018 Polls

he International Crisis Group (ICG) says the landslide victory of President Robert Mugabe’s ruling party in a January by-election in Zimbabwe’s Bikita West constituency in Masvingo Province is a troubling bellwether for the future of the country.
ICG says it signals that presidential and parliamentary elections in mid-2018 are unlikely to be credible, free or fair, and also that without fundamental change through a legitimate election, Harare will maintain the self-destructive policies that have done so much damage.
“In Bikita West, the Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF) candidate, Beauty Chabaya, promoted from its provincial women’s league, won with 77.9 per cent of the vote. The opposition complained of assaults, intimidation and threats of retribution by senior ZANU-PF figures against disloyal voters – the identification of whom was easier as voting results are broken down by polling station. Local party structures and traditional authorities also helped to monitor voters and in the run-up to the poll reportedly manipulated the distribution of food aid and farming inputs.”
ICG says the Bikita West vote was the latest in a series of by-elections being watched for how Zimbabwe and the ZANU-PF will fare, not just in next year’s elections, but also during the transition from more than three decades of rule by the ailing President Robert Mugabe, 92.
Zimbabwe’s Relentless Decline
The organizationa says c redible elections in 2018 will be crucial for arresting Zimbabwe’s precipitous decline. “Considered a middle-income country in the 1990’s, the economy nearly halved in the 2000s and has not recovered since. A large number of skilled workers in the government and private sector have left the country. According to the World Bank, 72 per cent of the population is poor and 20 per cent live in extreme poverty.
“Zimbabweans, despite exposure to much poor governance, put great store in a legitimate electoral process leading to reform. But this will require more than simply depoliticising the institutional machinery responsible for elections. More years of unchanged policies would further entrench a corrupt government and predatory state incapable of decisive change, leading to further social stagnation, economic slowdown and risks for the future stability and development of the region.”
Is says the opposition has struggled to make an impact following the 2013 elections defeat of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change-Tsvangirai (MDC-T) and subsequent turmoil within that party that resulted in the vacation of many parliamentary seats.
According to ICG, the main opposition’s subsequent boycott has allowed ZANU-PF to win all but one of more than 20 post-2013 by-election contests and grow its two-thirds majority in parliament.
The ruling party’s shock loss in the Norton constituency in the October 2016 by-election was seen by some as a sign of its vulnerability. The MDC-T and Joice Mujuru’s Zimbabwe People’s First (ZimPF) coordinated with disaffected war veterans to elect the independent candidate, Themba Mliswa (a former ZANU-PF parliamentarian and Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s cousin).
“Some argue Mliswa’s victory demonstrated that a unified opposition could win, even without meaningful electoral reforms. But others contend that the loss was a result of a contest between ZANU-PF factions, and that the nominally independent Mliswa was a stalking horse for Vice President Mnangagwa against the official ZANU-PF candidate, Ronald Chindedza, who was loyal to a rival faction of the party.”
ZANU-PF’s Show of Force
ICG says there were no signs of ruling party vulnerability in Bikita West: President Mugabe sent a clear directive that the constituency be won at all costs; ZANU-PF presented a united front; and MDC-T and war veterans did not close ranks behind the main opposition candidate, ZimPF’s Kudakwashe Gopo.
“Opposition parties continue to talk, but, riven by infighting, have neither fully joined forces, nor been able to take advantage of ZANU-PF’s internal discord either. ZANU-PF’s most significant challenge remains the choice of Mugabe’s successor. Mugabe was re-endorsed at the party’s National Conference in December as its presidential candidate for the 2018 elections, when he will be 94.
“With his physical capacities visibly waning, his failure to put in place a clear succession plan appears to be designed both to temper the ambitions of Mnangagwa, who is regarded by many as an obvious heir, and also to soothe the frustrations of those opposed to the vice president. The intra-party discord and jockeying is likely to frustrate political and economic reform and thus Western re-engagement.”
ICG notes that the sweeping victory for the ruling party in Bikita West raises deeper questions about the scale of popular support for the opposition. The National Electoral Reform Agenda (NERA), an umbrella opposition campaigning platform, retains an official position of boycotting elections until the process is reformed, but has failed to present a united political front.
The MDC-T has boycotted all by-elections because promised reforms remain largely unaddressed , but others have joined in to varying extents.
“It is unclear why ZimPF, a member of NERA, put up a candidate in the Bikita West election at all. There were internal ZimPF tensions over whether or not to participate, and the provincial party leaders who pushed against it have now resigned. In the end, the failure of ZimPF’s candidate in Bikita West has now damaged ZimPF leader Mujuru’s prospects of leading an opposition coalition in the 2018 elections.”
Addressing Zimbabwe’s Electoral Weakness
ZANU-PF vehemently denies allegations by the opposition and civil society of wrongdoing in Bikita West. “But that is not enough to make the opposition trust institutions like the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC), the police and the courts, which should be able to combat these violations. Severely underfunded after producing reports critical of the government, the Zimbabwe Human Rights Commission (ZHRC) cannot launch a serious inquiry into the elections.”
The region, says ICG, could help. “The Southern Africa Development Community and African Union have developed a framework for electoral conditions, and should launch an assessment of Zimbabwe’s democratic progress and shortfalls. They should carefully consider the concerns raised by NERA and others, and propose realistic reform implementation timelines ahead of the polls.
“Powers from further afield will be less willing to engage the more compromised the legitimacy of the regime becomes. Even then they will have to tread carefully, balancing support for improving institutional capacities and addressing problems, without inadvertently adding to distortions of what is already a skewed electoral environment.”
The March by-election in Mwenezi East promises to test conditions once again, as a senior ZimPF leader and former ZANU-PF firebrand, Kudakwashe Bhasikiti, runs in his former constituency.
The Bikita West by-election highlights how much still needs to be done – both by the ruling ZANU-PF and the opposition.

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