There will be questions and a hill of doubt after the dust is settled. The Zimbabwe Electoral Commision (ZEC) and authorities actions during the last 48 hours are the reason for it. Not only the additional day of voting. No, the whole charade and the manner of the election was held.
It was like ZEC wanted it to be hectic, bad and didn’t have the logistical support to hold a proper election. That how it can be perceived and it isn’t the look any in coming government to have. As the whole plot of ballot challenges, duplicated party candidates and other issues are showing the intentions form the get-go.
This ZEC wasn’t impartial or independent. No, it worked for one objective and one objective only. That to serve the state, the ZANU-PF and whatever else that secures victory for the incumbent President. Everything else is a side-show and the usage of Forever Associates Zimbabwe (FAZ) and Zimbabwe Republican Police (ZRP) to divert, distort and intimidate the population. Therefore, there is not many reasons to trust the outcome.
The ZEC can call for peace and say whatever it needs to say. However, we know there was more at stake and the ZEC wouldn’t risk to undermine the authority or the power of the incumbent. No, this game has been played before and is done so to perfection now. Even if the ZEC looks hopeless, inept and like it doesn’t know what it is doing. Nevertheless, that is done so you can talk about late delivery of ballots and lack of proper supervision at polling stations. While there will be talk of violence against opposition polling agents and also the arrests of CSOs Electoral Observation Monitoring Teams, which also happened during the polls. Just showing how the regime and ZEC wants to do this in darkness.
The ZANU-PF and ZEC aren’t interested in transparency or openness about the elections. They want nobody to look at it or talk about it. These ones in power wants their say and their tally announced. They will let the opposition get seats and get a few offices. We know that is just to make it seem legit, but the whole game is to secure the majority and the seats to give the President total control of the Parliament. Nothing is left to chance and the staff at ZEC knows this…
No one should be shocked or in awe by this in 2023. Elections under the reigns of ZANU-PF haven’t gotten better over the years. No, it is just getting worse and we should fear if there are riots, demonstrations or other public displeasure after the announced results. Because, the last election had a bloody end-game and a finalization. During the last term and the 2nd Republic. ZANU-PF tried to dismantle and weaken Nelson Chamisa. They tried to undermine and takeaway his party from underneath him. However, him and his allies cleverly outmanoeuvred them. That’s why the CCC is taking seats and winning people’s hearts.
While the CCC and Chamisa is winning hearts. It isn’t getting a total victory or a landslide. No, matter what the will of the people. It is the will of the ones who appointed the ZEC that matters. The people are pawns and their ballots will be cooked. ZEC is preparing tabulations and counting, which will benefit the President and ZANU-PF. They will not even hide it, but do in plain sight. That is just what is happening here.
Elections held in darkness, on overtime and without proper logistics. An election held with intimidation and with FAZ playing the mind-games with electorate. That’s what is up. There is not sincere or honest about it. ZEC already showed that with the ballots and the court cases, which only gave political capital to the ZANU-PF. Therefore, we all knew the gig was up.
I wish I could be more hopeful and giddy. Nelson Chamisa seems like an astute leader and a man of principals. However, that doesn’t matter when the authorities and the current regime is rigging itself into power. They are willing to do anything to get their result. ZEC will announce Mnangagwa and give a full second term. ZANU-PF will have the majority of seats in Parliament and hold key offices across the Republic. Therefore, there is no surprises and only merciless involvement in the polls.
ZANU-PF will have it and Mnangagwa too. They wouldn’t allow anything else to happen. ZEC is just rubberstamping it and following procedure. While looking incompetent and inept. The ZEC has been and seems like a circus. That circus is made to play tricks on the citizens and the election monitoring teams as well. Alas, the trick has been seen before and we know why. It has been done so it easier to cook the results and announced their preferred candidates. That’s what is happening and we cannot expect anything else.
This sham, charade and lacklustre affair only shows what sort of vibe the ZANU-PF is on. They are doing this just because they have too. To show some sort of credentials and that they have “support”. While everyone knows it is ghosts, the dead and algorithms that will secure ZANU-PF victory. It won’t be the people or the citizens at large. If so… the ZANU-PF and ZEC wouldn’t need to organize an election this way. Peace.
MinBane 