The ever-elusive Zimbabwean dream

 

On the 23rd of August 2023, Zimbabwe will hold its harmonized elections amid a plethora of challenges ranging from socio-economic instability and political upheaval. In recent months, Zimbabwe has seen the return of hyper-inflation in which the Zimbabwean dollar has completely collapsed on the parallel market against the market preferred United States dollar, hunger and starvation due to poor rains as a result of climate change and political crisis emanating from disputed elections and contested politics. 

As Jake Courtney explained in the elusive dream poem, “We seek out pleasure, and flee from pain, But the dream is fickle, and our joys are fleeting gains. We try to control our fate, and shape our destiny, But the dream is beyond our control, a mystery. Yet still we strive, and still we hope,

For in the great strange dream, there is always scope. To find a glimmer of joy, a spark of delight, and hold on to it, with all our might.”

Each and every year, Zimbabweans look forward to an election with renewed hope that maybe this time around lady lucky might shine on the country. It was not different again during the build to the 23rd August election, there was renewed hope that maybe this time change is coming. The hope, though, just like mist which disappear as the sun rises is quickly fading away as the election date draws closer.

Not yet Uhuru

The renewed fears of vote rigging has gripped the whole nation just like death and has sent panic and shivers across the country. Smell of doom has, once again, filled the whole country.

Zimbabweans have been there before; they have once felt like it is finally here and then it quickly slipped out of their fingers. Time and time again, they appear like they are in control of their destiny but in a flick of an eye, the dream becomes a mystery; beyond their control. All of a sudden, the mood across the country has often quickly became gloom as people start to reminisce another 5 years of poverty and economic hardship as a result of another disputed elections. 

The people are not anticipating any change but rather they are bracing for more economic hardships. Perhaps they are right, they have seen it before just like the weather. They can predict if the clouds are for the rains or just winter clouds. Many will rather brace themselves for more hardship than stock up excitement that will quickly be crashed by election results that are cooked. Many are fighting to leave the country for abroad. They have but all given up on their motherland. The lack of excitement across the country even though it is an election year suggests that people are not confident that it can be Uhuru, just yet. 

The signs of rigged elections are way too visible for many to ignore. I have been watching in despair hearing many people say it’s a done deal; ZANU-PF has rigged this election in advance. I can’t blame them; the handwriting is on the wall. This will most likely be another rigged election. No matter how positive and optimistic one can be. It’s just difficult to ignore the signs of another stolen election. I for one, on so many occasions ask myself, “Is fighting for change a futile exercise in Zimbabwe?”

Change without reforms is not possible in Zimbabwe. 

The military has a full grip on the country and reforms are needed to achieve change in the country. Yet, reforms are also not feasible with the current setup. As ZANU-PF always says, “we can’t reform ourselves out of power.” Reforms can only be possible with regional pressure but is unlikely due to the fact that, over the years, the South African government through the African National Congress (ANC) has declared its unwavering support to ZANU-PF. 

The police is also in the mix and has, on many occasions, banned opposition rallies despite the fact that section 155 of the constitution of Zimbabwe which sets out principles and guidelines for elections clearly stipulates that all political parties contesting an election must be allowed to campaign freely and peacefully. The main opposition party, the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) is an ‘unofficially’ a banned party in Zimbabwe with all its activities virtually banned. 

The ruling party has used state institutions as apparatus to frustrate opposition political parties. They have used the courts to persecute opposition party leaders and supporters, civic society leaders and journalists. They have enacted draconian laws which they have used to arrest and detain political dissent. 

The Voter’s roll

The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission has, up to now, refused to give political stakeholders the voter’s roll despite that it has given ZANU-PF not only the voter’s roll but the voter’s roll with voter’s faces and phone numbers. Section 21(3) of the electoral act clearly says that the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) must give anyone who request the voter`s, but the commission has violated the rule book. They have refused to give out the voter’s roll even to candidates. 

The voter’s roll is an election manual. It is an election register which allows one to know and validate how many people have been registered to vote. If one doesn’t have it, it is impossible to know who is registered or not, how many are registered and where or which polling stations are there. It means people have to rely with the Electoral Management Board (ZEC), an institution with zero credibility and without the trust of majority of Zimbabweans. 

Voter Intimidation

The ruling ZANU-PF continues to brutal assault opposition supporters especially in the countryside. Voters are openly told that they either vote ZANU-PF or prepare for the consequences. The consequences are severely painful. Villagers can be removed from their ancestral land for supporting opposition parties or rik getting killed. 

Village heads and chiefs have been used to whip their subjects to vote for ZANU-PF. Traditional leaders have become an instrument of intimidation by ZANU-PF in rural areas. Voters live in perpetual fear. The elders who saw war during Zimbabwe’s liberation struggle know that war is brutal and they lost many relatives and friends in the hands of both the white colonial regime and freedom fighters. They don’t want to see another war again and the village elders make sure to constantly remind them and warn younger ones who did not see the war. 

Opposition ‘tactical mistakes”.

Although, the opposition party- Citizen Coalition for Change (CCC) is being heavily muzzled by the ruling party ZANU-PF, they are also making tactical mistakes. Their candidate selection process was nothing short of a mess. It was filled with confusion and corruption. The opposition ended up with double candidates on members of parliament in many constituencies. This will split the opposition vote and may likely give ZANU-PF a 2/3rd majority in parliament. 

Although, many will rush to blame ZANU-PF infiltration. I think much was to do with the lack of internal administrative capacity leading some to think that perhaps those who were advocating for structures were correct. They was also imposition of candidates which was done along factional lines. If you don’t belong to certain faction you were definitely going to be removed; it didn’t matter how popular you were on the ground. It has turned out that the strategic ambiguity was meant to weed out those who were perceived to belong to another faction.

The “strategic ambiguity” which was meant to confuse ZANU-PF as they claimed, ended up confusing the opposition itself that by the last day of the nomination court it was not yet clear who were going to be their candidates. They ended up filing names very late and have the electoral management board, who extended the deadline and allowed them to file especially in Bulawayo, to thank. They ended up failing to submit council women PR lists for Bulawayo province and also failed to field councilors in 92 wards. This is not ZANU-PF but the opposition tactical blunders which they must own and take responsibility if they are to improve in future. 

Conclusion

So near, yet so far away, the Zimbabwean dream remains ever elusive. The hope of change this year is slowly but surely evaporating. A painful truth to admit. Will they ever be change in my home country? I hope so and I hope soon. The current situation is unbearable. I can’t imagine another 5 years under ZANU-PF and I sincerely pray that things will change back home but I have honestly lost hope. I am not the only one, many Zimbabweans have. Although they will go out to vote, they know the election results have already been predetermined but they just go out hoping for a miracle, yes nothing short of a miracle will free Zimbabwe from ZANU-PF.

Youngerson Matete is a pro-democracy and Human Rights activist, a student of Political Science. He is the founder of Project Vote 263, a youth-led initiative to foster inclusive participatory democracy in Zimbabwe. He writes in his own capacity. His views doesn't not represents any organisation.

Cell : +263 773 622 044

Email: youngmatete0@gmail.com/ director@projectvote263.org.zw