On Saturday 22 June 2008, the late MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai, pulling out of the deadly 2008 elections, famously declared: “I refuse to walk to State House on top of dead bodies and graves.”
As Zimbabwe marches ahead towards the crucial 2023 elections, violence outbreak is bringing back the spectre of the deadly 2008 polls.
Facing defeat and in the run off, the late Zanu PF leader and former President Robert Mugabe unleashed massive violence on the ordinary Zimbabweans, forcing Tsvangirayi to pull out of the famous June 27 presidential run-off.
Since time immemorial election-related violence has been a persistent issue in Zimbabwe’s political history, particularly in the context of the country’s national elections. Over the years, there have been numerous reports of violence, intimidation, and repression during election campaigns and on election day, which have contributed to a lack of trust in the electoral process and the government.
In many cases, the violence has been carried out by state security forces, ruling party militants, and other state-sponsored actors, who have targeted opposition supporters and candidates, as well as independent journalists and human rights activists. This has created a climate of fear and repression, which has made it difficult for citizens to freely participate in the electoral process and express their views.
However, of late reports of violence unleashed by political actors across the political divide has left Zimbabweans shell shocked and unsure of what will happen in the last few days of the campaigns ahead of the polling day.
This week, both the ruling Zanu PF and the main opposition Citizen for Coalition Change (CCC) supporters have been fingered in acts of violence that have left many injured and others battling for their lives.
Media reports indicate that several Zanu PF supporters were allegedly assaulted and seriously injured by suspected CCC activists at Mtora Growth Point, Gokwe-Nembudziya, on Sunday, 12 February.
The State Broadcaster, ZBC News, say the injured Zanu PF supporters were ferried to Gokwe North District Hospital for medical attention.
The ruling party members were reportedly attending a voter registration mobilisation and awareness meeting when they were attacked.
Posting on its Twitter handle, the ruling Zanu PF communication department said: “We condemn in strongest terms, the violence meted out against our supporters in Gokwe by Mr. Chamisa’s CCC hooligans. That has no place in our society.
“President Mnangagwa has called for peaceful political mobilisations. Let the law take decide. We pray for their quick recovery!”
This comes on the backdrop of reports of political related violence across the country’s provinces as both, Zanu PF and CCC, mobilise their grassroots in preparation for the August elections.
“It seems the opposition will now retaliate,” said one commentator who requested anonymity. “For long they (Opposition supporters) have been on the receiving end and now. They have vowed that they will defend themselves from Zanu PF thugs.”
In the run up to the by elections last year scores of CCC supporters were attacked during rallies across the country.
Last month social media was awash with reports of CCC supporters (elderly people) being bashed by Zanu PF supporters in Murewa.
Commenting on the developments CCC spokeskeperson Fadzai Mahere puts the balsme on Zanu PF leadership who are reportedly fanning violence.
Mahere said the Zanu PF leadership are clear in their messaging to Zanu PF supporters on how they should deal with CCC followers, which included killing them.
“It is important to state that this is not an isolated incident, it is part of a wide pattern of violence that has permeated our electoral landscape ever since the CCC was formed on January 24, 2022,” Mahere said.
“We have seen in almost every province violence perpetrated by Zanu PF and that violence must be understood in the context that the deputy leader of Zanu PF (Vice president Constantino Chiwenga) actually called for the CCC to be crushed like lice.”
The use of violence during elections has had a damaging effect on Zimbabwe’s political system, as it undermines the legitimacy of the government and the electoral process. It also creates a barrier to free and fair elections, and makes it difficult for the country to establish a stable and representative political system.
The lack of free and fair elections, combined with the suppression of dissenting voices, the use of violence to intimidate voters, and the manipulation of the electoral process, has contributed to widespread mistrust and cynicism towards the political system for the past two decades.
As a result, many citizens have been discouraged from participating in the electoral processes, and the government has struggled to establish its legitimacy and gain the support of the people. This has had a negative impact on the country’s democratic institutions, and has made it difficult for the government to effectively govern and address the needs and concerns of its citizens.
Growing reports of political violence erode some positive steps that we were witnessed towards the peaceful 2018 build up to the elections, it seems the country is sliding back to the past decades of violent election seasons.
Elias Mambo writes in his own personal capacity
