Resist, Reject and Report Violence, #RRRV2023
When democratic competition triggers violent conflict rather than serving as a peaceful
means of selecting leaders, public support for it in the citizenry decreases. The electorate
becomes more fixated with survival, in the nitty-gritty of day-to-day living: where will I
get money for fuel or to make it to work tomorrow; what will I make for supper for my
family tonight than in actively taking part in the politics of the country. In Zimbabwe, this
is more clearly expressed in the collective standpoint amidst the electorate, expressed in
the now familiar adage: “kusiri kufa ndekupi”. It is through this statement, which is akin
to the sentiment “we’re doomed (if we do vote) and doomed if we don’t” that the
debilitating effect and impact of harvested fear on targeted individuals becomes
markedly clear.
Our recommendations
Everyone deserves to live in an environment that is free from fear. It is worth noting
further that as the constituent parts of the state are its citizens, a state’s responsibility
lies, first and foremost in securing not just the general wellbeing, but also the physical
and psychological security and safety of its people. Reference is made to the ancient
Greek philosopher Aristotle who in his book ‘The Politics’ defines the role of the state
towards its citizens. This role captures a state that is all-providing in that it provides all
men’s needs and offers them the fulfilment, not only of living, but of living well in
accordance with those virtues that are peculiarly human. No election can be free, fair and
credible when conducted in an environment characterised by an electorate that is in a
chronic state of fear.
It is consequently difficult to conceive the possibility of enjoying basic human rights, be
they economic, civil and political or socio-cultural rights without the State creating a
conducive political environment for such freedoms to thrive.
January 2023
The Zimbabwe Peace Project Monthly Monitoring Report
18