Next Step: Electoral reforms in Zimbabwe

By Deborah Harry

The recent by-elections have shown us that we are still a long way from a free and fair election. Days and weeks before the actual election itself, there were several reports of CCC supporters being attacked, intimidated, and arrested on false criminal charges.

Even more tragic news was the killing of a man from CCC in Kwekwe by Zanu supporters. Weeks after the by election, we continue to receive news of CCC campaigners being rounded up by police and arrested for campaigning.

This is not right. This leopard doesn’t seem to have changed its spots. Electoral reforms are needed.

Rigging an election is an act that shows just how much a government does not care about its people’s views, preferences or needs. It is one thing that proves without a doubt that we are not a democracy.

We, the people want democracy, that is obvious; but the few men in charge and their clans are opposed to democracy the way evil is repelled by good.

Since we are the only ones who want democracy, we should campaign for electoral reforms because our lives depend on this.

As people we need to all start talking about electoral reforms in a big and consistent way.

The strong CCC MPs in parliamentary will definitely raise the issue, and I think we should support them by putting light on the issue on social media and via demos around the world so that the international community can see for themselves that Zanu are doing their best to rig elections again.

It’s simple. The more we talk about the need for electoral reforms especially on social media, the more likely the international community will get to know about our problems.

Not only that, but we also need to expose the things that Zanu are doing right now towards rigging the election. All the culprits involved in vote rigging should be named and shamed in public.

The 2023 general election is not far away. We are all fed up of the situation in Zimbabwe.

But we can’t just keep saying we are fed up, we have to do something about it, starting with the small things like raising awareness of problems to the world and pushing for solutions.

Deborah Harry is the Organising Secretary of the opposition Citizens Coalition Change (CCC) – Reading Branch, UK