ED rejects reforms for "No violence" code - not enough, we demand a la carte menu P Guramatunhu

When President Mnangagwa took over power after November 2017 coup and promised to hold free, fair and credible elections; every thinking Zimbabwean was overjoyed because the country’s failure to hold free and fair elections was universally accepted as the root cause of our economic and political mess.

Their joy was short lived as it became clear that President Mnangagwa was not going to implement any of the raft of democratic reforms everyone agreed at the onset of the 2008 GNU were the pre-requisite for free and fair elections. He has his own ideas of how free and fair elections could be delivered without implementing the reforms.

“I would want every leader, including myself, to commit to non-violence, to a clean campaign, a free election, a credible election. We must remain united, and the future of this country is bright. The new era is coming and together, let us enter Cannan while united,” President Mnangagwa told his supporters.

Of course, every thinking Zimbabwean is very disappointed with President Mnangagwa’s proposal of doing away with implement the reforms in favour of adopting a gentlemen’s agreement, not enforceable in a court of law. The code will only address the problem of violence, offering a temporary solution at best, and sweep all the other election problems under the carpet.   

There is no denying that the Police, Judiciary, etc. have so far failed to stop Zimbabwe’s culture of political violence because Zanu PF has systematically eroded these institutions’ independence turning them into Zanu PF departments in all but name. The Police have turned a blind eye to Zanu PF inspired political violence; indeed they have even played an active role in the wanton violence of 2008 and 2013.

Whilst implementing the democratic reforms would have restored the Police’s, and all the other state institutions, independence and power to enforce the country’s laws without fear or favour; the code is doing no such thing. President Mnangagwa wants us to retain the status quo and so the Zanu PF thugs restrained by the code can be unleashed again at the drop of a hat.

The more subtle forms of violence such as the Chiefs threatening to boot all opposition supporter out of their areas will remain.

Besides ending the culture of political violence, important as this is, is not enough to guarantee free and fair elections. We want a free public media, ZEC must produce a verified voters’ roll, Zanu PF must be stopped from robbing the nation blind to bankroll the party’s vote rigging schemes, etc.

Zimbabwe is in this economic and political mess because the country has been stuck for 38 years with a corrupt and incompetent regime that rigged elections to stay in power. The code of conduct will limit one of Zanu PF’s vote rigging options on the strict condition the party can opt out whenever it wished. Of course, this is totally unacceptable; we need to restore all the conditions for free, fair and credible elections a.s.a.p. if the country is ever to get out of this mess.

“No violence. We want free, fair and credible elections. We have invited foreign election observers because I am very confident,” concluded President Mnangagwa.

With not even one democratic reform in place it is impossible to see how anyone, anyone at all, can ever judge these flawed and illegal elections free, fair and credible. The best outcome for Zimbabwe is to have these flawed elections condemned so the country is forced to revisit and finally implement the raft of democratic reforms agreed at the onset of the 2008 GNU.