Election reforms first in Zimbabwe…. and YES, the British can help

By Hazvineyi Patience Muyeye

When I made my way to 10 Downing Street to submit a petition for free, fair and credible elections in Zimbabwe, I knew very well what I was doing. I knew there was a Zimbabwean Embassy in the UK and I knew many would expect me to go there with such a petition.

I knew as well that Zimbabwe is a sovereign nation with a right to conduct their own elections without being bullied into doing things a certain way by England. I expected to be lambasted – as i later was on Twitter – for taking the petition to what many people would deem the wrong place but there were a couple of facts that people overlooked and these pushed me to 10 Downing Street.

First, the world is now a global village and the countries that have refused to accept that have suffered sad consequences. Zimbabwe is the perfect example of such a country as its former president Robert Mugabe refused to be part of the global village choosing instead, to treat the country like his personal belonging.

He looked like the great orator when he chanted, “Blair, keep your England and let me keep my Zimbabwe.” But the fact is he was creating enemies out of the very people he needed to turn around the fortunes of a struggling economy. No country is an island on its own and – whether we like it or not – we need other countries to be part of the global community.

When Mugabe said the aforementioned words, he was greeted with applause the same way foolish dictators are made to feel important while exhibiting foolishness. The world listened to his tantrum and let him keep “his” Zimbabwe. But what was the result?

The result was the crumbling of a country that was once the darling of Africa and the bread basket of Southern Africa – like a deck of cards. So when i go to the same England to ask them to be part of the new Zimbabwe’s election process, i know what i am doing.

Only naive people do not know that any democratic country’s elections are observed by other countries, hence my decision to hand in the petition to England – one of the countries that , if their mindset about Zimbabwe change, can influence the rest of the world that Zimbabwe is under a fresh and spotless era in as far as democracy is concerned.

The new President may not be a saint but he is a better devil than Mugabe. He has allowed re-engagement with those so called enemies and he has never come close to insulting England because he knows Zimbabwe needs investors from Britain and her allies.

I just do not want the rigging. The better candidates have been robbed of victory in Zimbabwe elections over the past two decades and England saw this and castigated Mugabe for it. The same England can call for a fair election and that is why the petition went to 10 Downing Street. I know very well where the Zimbabwe Embassy is but they are government employees who are here at the mercy of Zanu pf and have zero power to make the changes we want in Zimbabwe as we go into this election.

One Evan Musarurwa even asked me on Twitter “Do you want the British to come and run Zim elections. You people in London are you even coming home to vote? A petition wont help we need your vote here home!!!” Many had similar sentiments and accusations.

The British would not want to run Zimbabwe even if i begged them to. However, they are keen to observe so they can see if Zimbabwe has truly changed. And pushing for a fair elections is better than coming to Zimbabwe with my one vote. Some of us do not only want to come to vote , we want to live in our country but the situation there right now is not safe for us, hence this petition.

A level and fair playing ground is all we are asking. Election reforms first..