#BYELECTION
The low voter turnout: 2018 and For example, in Murehwa South,
2022, a brief analysis
Zanu PF won by 11 125
compared to the CCC’s 1 729
There was a general low voter
while in Chivi South, Zanu PF
turnout in the March 26 bypolled 6 832 votes against the
election and this is typical of
CCC’s 1 414.
such elections.
In Mwenezi East, Zanu PF won by
Reference can be drawn from
12 177 compared to the CCC’s 1
the 2000 parliamentary results
573.
in Highfields in 2000 when
Munyaradzi Gwisai of the MDC
In comparison, in urban
polled 12,616 votes against Ida
constituencies, the CCC – Zanu
Mashonganyika of Zanu PF, who PF margin was much smaller. For
had 3,234 votes.
example, in Mbizo, CCC won by
7 146 compared to Zanu PF’s 3
In the 2003 by-elections to
232 votes and in Mkoba Amos
replace Gwisai who had been
Chibaya of the CCC won by 6
recalled, MDC won by 8,759
809 against Zanu PF’s 2 613.
votes to Zanu PF’s 4,844.
The pattern is the same in Binga,
So, it is in essence that the
Harare’s Highfield East, West,
March 26, 2022 by-elections
Kuwadzana and Kuwadzana
attracted fewer voters for
East, where CCC won, but the
instance, in Highfields, the
margins of victory were quite
winning CCC candidates
narrow.
Happymore Chidziva and Eric
Murai polled just 4 592 in
In Mutasa South and Epworth,
Highfield West and 5 610 in
where Zanu PF narrowly won,
Highfield East respectively.
low voter turnout was a huge
factor considering that in 2018,
In 2018, Chidziva won by 11 515
the winning candidate in
votes and Murai got 13 079
Epworth Ethrage Kureva got 26
votes.
082 votes, followed by Zanu PF’s
In the March 26 by-elections
Damson Kudakwashe who got
Zanu PF won by bigger margins 16149. Zalerah Makari, who
in rural constituencies compared stood as an independent, got
to the CCC in urban areas.
10745 votes. Makari stood on a
Zanu PF ticket in the March 26
by -elections and won by getting
10 246 votes compared to
Kureva’s 8 283 votes.
In Mutasa South, Regai Tsunga
won by 14 783 votes in 2018
compared to Zanu PF’s Misheck
Mugadza who polled 12 736
votes.
In the March 26 2022 byelections, Tsunga lost by 5 269
compared to the winner
Mugadza’s 5 818 votes.
There were allegations in Mutasa
South of village heads forcing
people to be assisted to vote for
Zanu PF.
Among other factors, the low
turnout of voters may be
attributed to lack of trust in the
Zimbabwe Electoral Commission.
What is also clear is that the
electorate is motivated more to
,participate in elections where
there is a presidential contest.
According to ZEC, the voter
turnout, was 35%.
According to Afrobarometer,
trust in ZEC is at an all-time low
of 42 percent as of the last
survey in 2021 compared to the
highest ever of 48 percent.