THE foundation of any robust and thriving democracy lies in the inclusion and active participation of its citizens in the electoral process.
One of the essential components of this process is the provision of a comprehensive and user-friendly voters roll.
Elections have been slated for August 23, 2023 and up until on Monday, the voters roll had not been made available by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec).
This came after some civil society organisations such as Project Vote 263 and the main opposition Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) which had been pressing for the release of the voters roll took legal action against Zec.
Section 21 of the Electoral Act states that voters rolls are public documents and are open to inspection by the public.
It proceeds to state that persons inspecting rolls are entitled to make written notes of anything contained in them.
Importance of a voters roll
A voters roll is a fundamental tool which ensures the integrity and fairness of an electoral system.
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It serves as the authoritative register of eligible voters, allowing individuals to exercise their democratic right to vote.
A comprehensive and well-maintained voters roll contributes to transparency, prevents fraud and manipulation and fosters public trust in the electoral process.
By providing accurate and up-to-date information about voters, it enables electoral authorities to plan and administer elections effectively.
Inclusivity and accessibility
A crucial aspect of a voters roll is its accessibility to all citizens.
The electoral system must guarantee equal participation and representation for all eligible voters, irrespective of their gender, age, socioeconomic status or geographical location.
By ensuring the inclusion of marginalised communities, a comprehensive voters roll helps foster social cohesion, mitigate the risk of voter suppression, and promote democratic values.
User-friendly design
To encourage broad participation, a voters roll must be designed with user-friendliness in mind.
This implies that the information contained within should be easy to understand and access, enabling voters to locate their details quickly.
A well-structured and intuitive interface, both online and offline, can enhance the usability of the voters roll, particularly for citizens with limited digital literacy.
Additionally, clear guidelines and support mechanisms should be in place to assist individuals who encounter difficulties while navigating the system.
Zimbabwe’s electoral history provides a compelling case of the importance of a transparent and user-friendly voters roll.
In the past, the country faced challenges related to voter registration and manipulation of the electoral process.
The lack of a comprehensive and inclusive voters roll has previously led to allegations of voter disenfranchisement and electoral irregularities, undermining public trust and compromising the legitimacy of election outcomes.
The provision of a comprehensive, user-friendly and inclusive voters roll is a vital component of a thriving democracy.
Zimbabwe’s experiences with its electoral system highlight the significance of ensuring transparent, accessible and well-maintained voter registration mechanisms.
By embracing these principles, Zimbabwe can strengthen its democratic process, empower citizens, and reinforce the foundations of a just and representative society.-Zimbabwe Coalition on Debt and Development
Resource scarcity hinders women’s political participation
ON June 16, 2023, the Women’s Academy for Leadership and Political Excellence (Walpe) partnered the Zimbabwe Election Support Network (Zesn) through European Union (EU) support in an online television programme.
The organisations conducted the television programme, streamed live to viewers on Bustop TV Facebook, under the topic Experiences of women leaders during political parties’ candidate selection process and the Nomination Court: Lessons learnt.
Four women leaders from Zanu PF, Citizens Coalition for Change, David and United Zimbabwe Alliance contesting in the August 23 harmonised elections for parliament and council seats constituted the panel.
During the programme, the women leaders said lack of resources had contributed to the failure of women to contest in this year's elections.
One candidate said while women had been front-runners in ward or constituency elections, many left the seats to men who could afford the high nomination fees which the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec) charged.
There were a lot of capable women leaders who were left behind because they failed to raise the money being demanded by Zec for nomination fees.
Others failed to even campaign at party level during the candidate selection process.
If women had been adequately resourced, we would have witnessed a higher number of women candidates than what is currently prevailing.
More contributing factors to the low participation of women are highlighted below.
- Violence, harassment and intimidation of aspiring women leaders by men.
- Vote-buying and bulldozing of male candidates ahead of women in wards and constituencies during the internal candidate selection processes.
- Erroneous voters rolls were many nominators’ names were missing despite being registered voters.
The nomination court process being flawed and biased against women candidates, leaving many of them unable to file their nomination papers on time.
At the end of the programme, the women leaders recommended that:
- Equal and adequate funding be provided for both women and men candidates for women to have a fighting chance at taking up leadership positions.
- Political parties provide an enabling environment that allows women to freely and effectively participate in leadership and political processes without the fear of violence, harassment, intimidation or threats.
- Women’s rights organisations such as Walpe continue to lobby and advocate for more women to enter politics.
- More voter education be conducted to inform women on the benefits of voting and taking leadership positions.-Walpe
Zim must commute death sentence to prison terms in Tapiwa Makore murder case
RESPONDING to news that Tafadzwa Shamba and Tapiwa Makore Snr have been sentenced to death by the Harare High Court over the murder of Tapiwa Makore Jnr three years ago, Khanyo Farisè, Amnesty International’s deputy director for Southern Africa, said:
“Amnesty International opposes the death penalty in all cases without exception, regardless of the nature of the crime, the characteristics of the offender, or the method used by the State to execute the prisoner. It is the premeditated and cold-blooded killing of a human being by the State in the name of justice. It violates the right to life as proclaimed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It is the ultimate cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment.
“While Amnesty International acknowledges the pain and anguish felt by Tapiwa’s family following the death of Tapiwa Makore, the death penalty is never the appropriate response and must never be used in any circumstances anywhere in the world.
"In opposing the death penalty, Amnesty International in no way seeks to minimise or condone the crimes for which those sentenced to death were convicted.
"Anyone found guilty of a crime after a fair trial that meets international standards should be held accountable without resorting to the death penalty.
“There is no credible evidence that the death penalty has a greater deterrent effect on crime than prison terms. Amnesty International is urging authorities in Zimbabwe to commute all death sentences to prison terms. Also, we call on the Zimbabwean authorities to establish an official moratorium on executions with a view to abolishing the death penalty for all crimes.”
On July 12, 2023, Tafadzwa Shamba and Tapiwa Makore Snr were sentenced to death following a trial at the Harare High Court over the murder of Tapiwa Makore.
Tapiwa, who was murdered on September 17, 2020, was found disfigured and dismembered, sparking widespread outrage.-Amnesty International
