Elections have taken their toll on Zimbabweans to the point where people have more of a sense of anxiety and fear than celebration.
In elections education in government schools is disrupted, food aid is attached to political affiliation, the media comes under fire and, people are intimidated, harassed, arrested and even killed.
All this in the name of elections!
“I will never forget the early hours of that Monday morning. It was just after midnight. I was asleep when I heard a knock at the door.” recalls Taurai (not his real name.)
“Three men forcibly entered our house after we had refused to open. They took and that was the last time I saw him alive,” he said.
“After two days we found his body in the nearby bush. He had been stabbed with a sharp object all over.”
“My brother’s death left me in shock and despair. Nothing can compare to the deep loss of a loved one. I miss my brother so much,” says grief stricken Taurai, whose brother was killed in the run-up to the June 2008 election run-off.
Mercy (not her real name) still has to come to terms with her attack.
“They came and took me from my house to the base were there were other activists accused of supporting MDC-T. I was raped by more than ten men throughout the night.
“A soldier present forced a gun into my private parts it was painful, when l cried for help they said ‘cry louder so that Morgan Tsvangirai can come and help you’,” Mercy recalled vainly choking tears.
“I was released the following morning and struggled to walk. Although I reported the matter to the police they did not act.
At the police station Mercy was advised by a counselor to get tested.
“After some hesitation I went for a testing and I was positive,” says a disconsolate Mercy.
Now on ARVs Mercy says she meets one of her rapist at the ARV collection point.
“I am dejected when I see the man. It is painful that nothing was done to him. Something must be done to perpetrators of violence before the next polls,” she said on the verge tears.
The education sector was not spared.
In 2008 school children had only 27 full days of schooling, the rest lost to strikes, and also elections.
Nokutenda who was in Form 3 when the last elections were held said, “ There is need to ensure that elections will never affect schooling again.”
Violence followed the March 29th 2008 polls, which did not produce an outright victor for presidency.
And many people say the Zanu PF regime was behind the violence.
Violence was targeted at active supporters of the MDC and their families, in rural areas and in low income suburbs.
Many of the casualties had their homes destroyed; foodstuff and livestock looted.
Hundreds of homesteads were burnt in Muzarabani, Mt Darwin, Uzumba, Maramba-Pfungwe, Epworth, Hurungwe, Mudzi and Shamva.
Pedzisai Ruhanya, Crisis Coalition Zimbabwe programmes manager said there are a lot of things to be ironed out before people start talking about elections.
“Zimbabwe is not ready to hold elections because the framework for holding fresh and free elections whose outcome will be accepted by the people is not there. The whole constitution-making process is flawed therefore it will produce a flawed result and put into dispute the legitimacy of winners of any of the elections. Zimbabwe needs to demilitarize the bodies that run elections for any outcome to be accepted,” said Ruhanya.
Lovemore Chinoputsa the former secretary general for the Zimbabwe National Students Union (Zinasu) said there is need for closer and serious monitoring of events in Zimbabwe by SADC.
“The people of Zimbabwe should never allow for elections before all the hurdles to a free and fair elections are removed as it will only be repetition of previous elections where the election losers have manipulated elections to remain relevant.”
National Constitution Assembly (NCA) Information and Publicity Secretary Blessing Vhavha said “I’m sure every Zimbabwean you meet in the streets will surely confess to you that the environment is unfavorable for the holding of a credible election.
“The media polarization, composition of the electoral body (Zimbabwe Election Commission (ZEC) and the violence that we have witnessed in the COPAC constitution making exercise will make it practically impossible for the holding of elections.”
Added Vhavha “As for us in the National Constitution Assembly (NCA) we have made our position clear - that the holding of an election under the present constitution is impossible because of its flaws that ZANU PF has been using to its advantage to stay in power.
Vhavha said all elections in Zimbabwe remain illegitimate and without merit until undertaken under a new democratic and people-driven constitution, which allows, among other things equal access to the media, one independent, impartial, accountable and well-resourced electoral management body; delimitation free from political control, accurate, fair, transparent and undertaken with full public participation; A continually updated and accurate voters’ roll, which is open and accessible to all.
Vhavha said “As the NCA we are saying that elections should only be conducted after the writing of a new genuine people driven constitution. That new constitution should guarantee a free and fair election.”
Ruhanya who is also the chairman of the Zimbabwe Journalists for Human Rights added that a free press is “the hallmark of democracy is free press.”
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