Zimbabwe’s Elections – complaint as election just begun today
By Daily Tab24. Updated: 5:12 pm. Aug 23, 2023.
Africa is considered a third world country that cannot organize credible elections, this is not because they lack funding and manpower, but because the instinct of political leaders for power grab is ferocious. African leaders have embraced the tag by the West; they show no sign of untagging or becoming better in elections. Power drives African political leaders insane; everything is on the table to win elections.
As Zimbabweans go to the polls to decide who becomes their leader, ruling party and opposition parties scramble for victory. Zimbabwe is known for being under the leadership of older presidents. After the coup that removed Robert Mugabe in 2017, it was thought a younger President would emerge, but another of the old folks took over the leadership of the country.
Zimbabwean current President, Emmerson Mnangagwa is on the move to seal a second term, unlike Mugabe who wanted to rule forever, this second term would be the last for the President who is expected to win the would-be disputed election. Zimbabwe has a history of violent and fraudulent elections, which have seen incumbents devise a means to stay in power.
Instead of merge and form a remarkable force against the 80years old Mnangagwa , aka Crocodile, opposition divided into eleven different candidates to challenge the man at the helm of affairs of the country. The split makes the 45 years old youngster, Nelson Chamisa journey to succeed the old gun harder. Election victory is all about number, and when there is a massive split, it benefits the bloc – the main or ruling party.
Chamisa is capable of turning the table against the incumbent, but with the incumbent controlling the arms of the government for more than four decades now, upstaging the status quo would be even harder, even after narrowly missing out in 2018.
Since 1980 Zimbabwe got independence; they have known only two leaders, Robert Mugabe and Mnangagwa, two leaders from the ruling party that has held onto power throughout the post independence life of the country. The ruling party must avoid runoff, and they have started the very disputing act the election has – a history of.
Firstly, flyers were circulated to discourage opposition voters or trick them into abandoning the election. With state funds available for the ruling party, they have enough to waste on the election and for vote buying.
Delay of electoral materials in the strongholds of the opposition is always the first dart when it comes to rigging election. The election is so important that it would decide the makeup of parliaments and council positions.
The people of Zimbabwe desperately needed a change due to the rising cost of living and inflation that had made life unbearable for the people. the change means many are determined to vote for the opposition, and the ruling party have shown unfair determination to disfranchise the people to stay in the lead for two term. Zimbabwe’s second largest industrial city has over the years leaned on the opposition, and delaying ballots to the strongholds of opposition has bitten them mercilessly.
The electoral officers will always have a reason for the delay in the strongholds of the opposition; it was a strategy to minimize opposition votes. The wait will play into the hands of the ruling party and there is nothing anybody could do.
A country rich with lithium, it’s the future of electric cars, due to the natural resources is used for production of electric car batteries. Corruption is not new or a surprise, it’s a cancer that has eaten down to the fabrics of the country. Mismanagement and unaccountability are the order of the day. The economy is in shambles and the people look the direction of Chamisa for salvation, but the ruling class that feed off the country will not give up.
Mnangagwa knows the terrain of election rigging because he has been the vice President of the country under Mugabe. He followed the footsteps of Mugabe, even sometimes proving to be worse with his handling of dissents. He has also failed to create a relationship with the West like Mugabe. The West has sustained sanctions placed on the country, isolating the poor country to force the leaders to embrace civility in their conducts and handling of dissents.
The President has often accused the West of same thing Mugabe accused them and continues to play tough with the West. He has declined to cave in to the demands of the West for any reason, believing Zimbabwe can survive. The fear of his government being deposed has led to keeping at arm’s length with the West.
