Samuel Bachi
The country’s election history has been painted a permanent picture of being characterised and punctuated by political violence. The narrative has been peddled by the country’s detractors who conveniently error on recognising the values of the ruling Party Zanu PF, which are peace, unity and tranquillity.
Of course, the politicization of violence is a tragic part of the country’s DNA. In all these timelines of political violence, Zanu PF has been implicated as the main culprit. It has been blamed and accused of horrific violence during the country’s liberation struggle, the horrors of the 1987 Matabeleland disturbances as well as the beatings, torture, and killings of political opponents of Mugabe’s regime in 2008 and beyond. Political power has been allegedly sought and maintained through violence and intimidation.
However, the inception of the New Dispensation has been a game changer. There has been significant reforms in security and socio political landscape of the country. Now the country’s enemy has come out clean and for all to see. All those atrocities were neither precipitated by the ruling party but were a result of proxy grouping of western funders who are eager to topple the legitimate Zanu PF and replace it with a puppet regime.
Turning the page on this history would require a real reckoning with the past which has proved to be unappealing. The National Peace and Reconciliation Commission formed in 2013 appear to have accomplished notable success after successfully engaging the victims and the traditional leadership of Matabeleland to put the Gukurahundi case to rest. The commission has also been to other provinces resolving any forms of conflict that may exist through participatory engagement with the relevant stakeholders.
His Excellency, President Emmerson Mnangagwa has on several times preached that this year’s elections should be held in peace. He has reiterated that the upcoming harmonised elections are fast approaching and therefore people including political parties, civil society organisations, and religious institutions to should purpose themselves for the promotion of peace. He emphasised that whenever there are political differences, violence must not be an answer or strategy. Zimbabweans are one and must come first and foremost, brothers and sisters and must never inflict violence upon themselves in the name of diverging views.
Zanu PF’s conduct and internal democracy has a bearing on the Government’s commitment to uphold democracy and superintend over a free and fair election. The recently held Zanu PF primary elections proved that the Party has matured enough and has the capacity to hold a free and fair election. The ZANU PF Harare Provincial Political Commissar who is also Epworth aspiring Member of Parliamen, Kudakwashe Damson was disqualified from running in the primary elections due to his involvement in violent altercations with the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) officials.
Apart from that, the Judicial Services Commission has established a panel of eighteen (18) Judges to be deployed across the country to deal with electoral related cases inclusive of politically motivated violence. The Electoral Court will operate from 1 March to 30 August this year in terms of the Electoral Act. The Electoral Court has exclusive jurisdiction to hear appeals, applications and petitions in terms of the Electoral Act it reviews any decision of the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission or anyone else made under the Electoral Act has the power to give such judgments, orders and directions in those matters as might be given by the High Court. This is a milestone electoral reform that the opposition conveniently forgets to account.
As a way of showing commitment for violent free elections, the Second Republic has instituted a new phenomenon in the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP), of training officers to deal with anticipated election related violence and has further set up an internal committee to investigate poll based crimes. This follows a regrettable incident where in Police in 2018 was overwhelmed by hordes of protesters who took to the streets in Harare CBD to express anger over what they found to be a slow announcement of election results by the ZEC.
