Zimbabwe Crisis Reports Issue 12

ZIMBABWE CRISIS REPORTS Issue 12 ■ August 2007 Fresh insights into the Zimbabwean situation VOTER REGISTRATION ENDS WITH A WHIMPER A campaign to register voters for next year’s election ended almost unmarked, with many people saying they were unaware of the three- month long process. From Joseph Sithole in Harare Zimbabwe’s joint presidential and parliamentary elections scheduled for next year have generated much controversy. While the ballot has been flagged up as a watershed event for both the ruling party and the opposition, some analysts are warning Lazele Credit: that it could turn out to be a damp People line up at a voter registration centres in Harare to beat the August 17 squib. deadline. Picture taken August 16, 2007. They argue that the elections, which Among the reasons cited for these will pit the ZANU-PF party of President gloomy predictions are voter apathy, lack Robert Mugabe against the fractured The elections may not be as of publicity, and the inability of millions of opposition Movement for Democratic exciting as the interest Zimbabweans outside the country to Change, MDC, may not be as exciting they have generated. register for the ballot. The nationwide as the interest they have generated voter registration process ended almost locally and internationally. unnoticed on August 17. Many people NEWS IN BRIEF ■ At its August 16-17 summit in ■ Zimbabwe’s neighbours have ■ President Mugabe said on August Lusaka, the Southern African reduced electricity supplies because of 20 that his government would forge Development Community failed to Harare’s ballooning debt, raising fears ahead with plans for tougher action censure Zimbabwe’s embattled of a fresh round of power cuts in a against businessmen who defy a President Robert Mugabe, and country already weighed down by directive to reduce prices. instead pledged to assist his growing economic problems. Zimbabwe government weather the ongoing imports 35 per cent of its electricity ■ The government has re- economic crisis. from South Africa, Mozambique and the registered 42 private abattoirs so Democratic Republic of Congo. that they can slaughter cattle and ■ ZANU-PF is reportedly moving supply beef to butcheries people from rural areas to register as ■ The electricity shortage has led countrywide, to ease meat shortages. urban voters for next year’s joint to hundreds of women giving birth in It said the approved abattoirs should presidential and parliamentary the dark. Managers at hospitals and buy stock and sell meat at the elections to strengthen its chances in clinics around the country said a reduced prices set by the the towns, seen as opposition number of babies had died at birth government. strongholds. because of poor sanitary facilities and lack of power. AUGUST 2007 ■ 1 THE INSTITUTE FOR WAR AND PEACE REPORTING who should have put their names down advertised and was overshadowed by “There is definitely something afoot,” said they were wholly ignorant of the more immediate political he said. “The elections may be no three-month long campaign launched in developments. more than symbolic. ZANU-PF is May. As well as the general lack of already manufacturing figures and information, critics complained that the “The timing of the registration exercise names before the election dates are registration process was manipulated to was very poor,” said the political known to the rest of the nation,” he exclude opposition supporters. scientist, who did not want to be said. named. “Every day, people are being The joint elections have been told about talks taking place in South He noted that only about 80,000 tentatively set for March 2008, but Africa, while back home people are names had been added to the fears of a low turnout have already being quietly registered to vote. It’s electoral roll, a tiny amount set against prompted talk of a postponement to just too packed and confusing,” he the estimated three million who are next June. said. believed to have left Zimbabwe in search of work abroad. The figure of John Mlilo, from Mataga, 450 One such headline news story is the 80,000 was only twice the national kilometres south of the capital Harare, ongoing mediation process between average for a single constituency, he was typical of rural residents who were ZANU-PF and the MDC. In March, said. caught unawares by the voter South African president Thabo Mbeki registration effort. was mandated by the Southern African Development Community to try to bring the two sides to the “The elections may be negotiating table to seek a political no more than symbolic. settlement to Zimbabwe’s eight-year ZANU-PF is already “I doubt if anybody crisis, which has seen inflation registered to vote in this soaring to over 4,500 percent, manufacturing figures ward” — rural resident. unemployment above 80 per cent and names” — analyst. and a mass exodus of economic refugees to neighbouring countries and beyond. A low turnout, especially among its “It is unusual for people to be Then there is the price-cutting blitz supporters, would not be in the registered for elections this early. launched by the government last government’s interests, given a plan Perhaps there was something wrong,” month, which has led to widespread to elect more members to he said. “Normally they register people shortages and crippled public parliament than before. A at the local primary school but this transport. Queues for scarce controversial constitutional time there was nothing. I doubt if commodities such as the staple maize amendment being pushed by anybody registered to vote in this ward meal, sugar, salt, cooking oil and ZANU-PF would increase the because we would have heard about paraffin have become the order of the number of seats in the lower house it.” day in all urban centres. from 150 to 210 and from 66 to 84 in the upper chamber. The mobile voter registration teams have two components — members of “What I don’t understand is why they the government appointed Electoral are keen to increase the number of Supervisory Commission, and staff “The timing of the Senate [upper house] and from the Registrar General’s Office registration exercise was constituency seats when all the who issue birth certificates and very poor” — Harare-based evidence points to fewer voters next national identification documents to analyst. year,” he said. those who do not have them, as this is a prerequisite for voting. There have been allegations that the voter registration campaign is being Mlilo said he had heard that “Mugabe used to stop opposition supporters people” were issuing IDs and birth Finally, prospective voters may have getting onto the electoral roll. The certificates, but not that voters were been distracted by the long holidays Zimbabwe Election Support being registered. around Heroes’ Day, August 11. Network, a non-government organisation that does voter A political scientist at the University of The analyst said the ZANU-PF’s low- education, has reported that Zimbabwe said many people in urban key approach to registering voters was traditional leaders in rural areas are as well as rural areas may have cause for concern. This was true even excluding known supporters of missed the deadline because the in those rural areas where ZANU-PF opposition parties, for example registration campaign was poorly can normally expect a clear majority. denying them ID papers. 2 ■ ISSUE 12 ZIMBABWE CRISIS REPORTS Fidelis Mhashu, an MDC member of “The party has squandered a lot of “Because of our constituency-based parliament for Chitungwiza, 30 km goodwill because of internal voting system, even if registered, southeast of Harare, claimed that squabbles. Many people have lost voters outside Zimbabwe would need some 65 residential properties in his hope that it can ever beat ZANU-PF. to return home to vote in their constituency had been omitted from Most of them have been frustrated out constituencies for their MPs,” he said. the document used as proof of of the polling booth. “I don’t know whether the MDC is able residence. He warned that if this to bring back the over three million practice proved to be more “Add to this the estimated three million people who have left the country since widespread, it would prejudice the Zimbabweans reportedly living in the 2000 — that is, if it is true that all these MDC in the polls. diaspora and it gives you a bleak people still support the opposition. picture of the MDC.” Martin Chiriga, from the poor suburb of Many MDC supporters Kuwadzana, sells mobile phone “still not sure whether airtime cards near a voter registration MDC should “sort out centre but had not bothered to put his their problems before they their party is going to own name down. He said he had participate in next year’s voted for the opposition in the past, can count on my vote” – elections” — analyst. but was no longer interested in doing disgruntled Zimbabwean so. voter. “They [MDC] should first sort out The political scientist in Harare noted their problems before they can count that the bitter acrimony between the on my vote,” said Chiriga. “Why MDC’s two rival factions had not should I vote for them when they are “On the other hand, if they were helped focus the minds of potential already fighting for power they allowed to vote from their present opposition voters. haven’t got? Is that going to feed my locations wherever they are, they can children?” only vote for the president, which is “Because of their own internal not constituency-based. If Tsvangirai problems, the two factions were At the talks in South Africa, the MDC is wins, that would create a serious unable to educate their constituents on holding out for reforms to election constitutional crisis if his party loses the need to register,” he said.

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