THE ROUND UP
An analysis of the 2018 Preliminary Voters Roll conducted by the
Zimbabwe Election Support Network (ZESN) revealed that only 49% of
the 18–22-year age group was registered to vote. This is a reflection
that on the ground, young people have demonstrated high apathetic
tendencies.
However, this year young people were intensely
organising around voter registration through social media, walk-on
campaigns, art and theatre among other ways. Young people have
been organising intensely around meaningful and peaceful
participation in the electoral process and the expectation is that this
year, young people will participate in the election more peacefully and
meaningfully compared to previous elections.
CHALLENGES FACED BY POLITICAL
PARTIES DURING NOMINATION
SI 144 of 2022, which increased the cost of nomination to USD
$20,000 for presidential candidates has prevented some women
from contesting for president. The only female candidates, Elisabeth
Valerio of the United Zimbabwe Alliance (UZA) and Labour,
Economists and African Democrats candidate Linda Masarira to
have put forward their names were not successful at the nomination
court as they wanted to pay the nomination fees in local
currency.They faced challenges of not having proof of payment
because of bank limits imposed by current monetary policies. Both
women have since filed appeals with the Electoral Court to overturn
the decision of the nomination court. It is alarming to note that men
are running for most of National Assembly seats in constituencies,
with women making up less than a third of the candidates in most
provinces. Only 2 of the 36 candidates in Matabeleland South are
women and 4 women are among the 62 candidates in Masvingo.
Due to financial challenges, the MDC Alliance was also unable to
afford to cover the nomination fees for all its 87 candidates for
senate, council, and Member of Parliament. The Senate and MP
candidates were expected to pay p US$1000 and prospective
councillors US$100. Devine Mhambi, the leader of the Nationalists
Alliance Party, challenged the nomination fees before the
Constitutional Court. The Constitutional Court ruled against the
exorbitant 2023 election candidates’ nomination fees gazetted by
the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC), ordering Parliament to
re-examine the Statutory Instrument (SI) 145 that set the nomination
fees. On 14 June the Parliamentary Legal Committee issued a nonadverse report on SI 144 of 2022 that set out the nomination fees to
stand The MPs were given a week to evaluate the matter by the
acting speaker of parliament Mr William Mutomba, but nothing was
changed. Due to Zimbabwe's economic difficulties, the nomination
fees are a barrier for many parties that want to exercise their rights
and field candidates for the elections.
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