Referendum fails to excite Zimbabweans

By Tichaona Sibanda
7 March 2013

It appears many Zimbabweans are not so enthusiastic about next week’s referendum on a new constitution. This is a development analysts are attributing to the fact that all parties in the GPA are campaigning for a Yes vote.

The new charter is meant to be an historic milestone in setting the country’s future. However, the fact that political rivals have agreed to support the new constitution raises the question as to whether Zimbabweans have been turned off by the ‘unholy’ alliance, in a country known for its deep rooted polarization.

With a population nearing 13 million all voters above 18 years old are eligible to vote, but the lack of enthusiasm might see the referendum being marred by voter apathy.

Human rights lawyer Dzimbabwe Chimbga said: ‘I suspect apathy plus a Yes vote,’ Chimbga told SW Radio Africa on Thursday.

There are also worries that if there is a low turnout, the Yes will sail by with a slim margin, hardly the resounding endorsement both ZANU PF and the MDC formations are looking for to silence the vocal National Constitutional Assembly (NCA) that is calling on its supporters to vote No.

Observers are warning that if turnout is low and the final majority in favor of the constitution is lower than 50 percent, it would raise damaging questions about how representative the document is of the nation.

Political commentator Lenox Mhlanga said only 30 people attended the COPAC meeting on the draft constitution in Lupane on Thursday. Many of the COPAC publicity awareness meetings have been poorly attended, owing largely to lack of information on the exercise.

‘This (low attendance) gives you an idea. There is more excitement about Dynamos and Highlanders being left out of the NetOne Charity Cup than the referendum,’ he said.

NCA spokesman Blessing noted that the referendum will be discredited if there is voter apathy, boasting however that the No vote will be successful.

‘Any low turnout is enough to discredit its credibility. A low turnout demonstrates that when you are in power, you lead by not what you want but what people want,’ he said.

While Deputy Justice Minister Obert Gutu agrees that the referendum has failed to generate much excitement among the people he believes it will be a completely different ball game when the country goes for elections proper.

‘I foresee a massive voter turnout at the watershed elections because the mood on the ground is that ZANU PF has had it’s time and that they must go,’