The Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum, consisting of 21 human rights organizations, has released a statement regarding the 2023 harmonized elections held on August 23-24. The Forum expressed concern over various irregularities, including voting delays, absence of voting materials, ballot paper anomalies, and intimidation of voters. They highlighted the presence of Forever Associates Zimbabwe (FAZ), a quasi-security intelligence organization, near polling stations and their involvement in intimidation tactics. The Forum also noted instances of police brutality, misconduct, and intimidation directed at citizens and journalists. They further raised concerns about the integrity of the voter’s roll. The Forum provided recommendations for addressing these irregularities and ensuring a safe and fair electoral process. Pindula News presents the statement below.
23-24 August Harmonised Elections
Unpacking An Election Like No Other
From the delayed opening of polling stations, absence of voting material in polling stations, ballot paper anomalies, non-appearance of names on voters’ roll, contestations around night voting, voter intimidation, raids on CSO offices, and unjustified arrests of the same — the 2023 harmonized election was marred with election irregularities rendering it a topsy — turvy election devoid of integrity and constitutionalism. The Zimbabwe Human Rights NGO Forum (the Forum) – a coalition of twenty-one human rights-based organisations whose mandate is anchored on coordinating the human rights discourse in Zimbabwe deployed election observers across the 210 constituencies in the country to monitor, document and report on adherence to due process and human rights violations during elections. Through its members and accredited local observers, the Forum identified, verified, and documented the following electoral irregularities.
Of election illegalities and irregularities.
In urban constituencies in Harare, Bulawayo and Manicaland polling day was characterised by delayed opening of polling stations mostly due to absence of voting materials, late arrival of ballot papers and depletion of ballot papers. This is despite the fact that the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) had communicated and assured both the electorate and foreign observer missions that it was fully prepared to manage this democratic process. According to ZEC, only 23% of polling stations in Harare Province, 85% in Manicaland, and 75% in Bulawayo opened on time (0700hrs) on 23 August 2023. The net effect of this was voter apathy, and frustration on the part of the electorate forcing some to walk away without voting. By the end of 23 August, reports emerged of polling stations opening between 1500hrs to 2200hrs. Specifically, polling stations at Glen View 1 Primary School, Glen Norah A-Shiriyedenga Primary School, Cowdray Park Primary School in Bulawayo and Budiriro 2 Primary School in Harare opened between 1500hrs to 1800hrs. Polling stations at Cold Comfort, Mabelreign and Budiriro Polling Stations opened at 1930hrs whilst Glen Norah A, AFM Church Polling Station only opened around 2300hrs. In the case of Chembira School in Glen Norah Ward 28, no polling took place at all on 23 August 2023.
The historic and sustained culture of intimidation
The Forum also received worrying reports of a quasi-security intelligence organisation, Forever Associates Zimbabwe (FAZ) that exhibited intimidatory antics in the proximity of multiple polling stations nationwide on polling day. Through monitoring the pre-election phase, the Forum identified the dominance of FAZ in many voters’ intimidation and violence cases.
FAZ members set up Exit Poll Survey desks in the proximity of polling stations. They were taking names and identity details of voters before and after voting. In some areas like Binga and Norton, there were fierce confrontations between FAZ and citizens. Reports of intimidation orchestrated by FAZ were also reported by Forum accredited observers and members in Gokwe Central, Binga, Insiza North, Hatfield, Warren Park, Bikita Gwariro, Haig Park Primary School, Nashville High School, Sadza, Chivi North, Nkulumane 10 just to mention a few. Their presence defied the formal communication that had been shared by ZRP that declared that gatherings around polling stations were not permitted on polling day. Intimidation by FAZ cannot be ignored as this brings to question the free aspect of the election.
A culture of electoral violence
The Forum is also disturbed by spurts of police brutality, misconduct and intimidation towards either citizens or journalists on polling day. Journalists covering Makoni South Constituency were chased away from the polling station by the police. In some instances, the police were allegedly working in cahoots with FAZ members. For example, in Chiredzi West and Nandi Primary School, FAZ and ZRP allegedly chased away journalists. Intimidation by police was also seen in Dangamvura, Ward 7 in Mutare where voters raised an alert that there were two police water cannon vehicles at the polling station. The Forum also identified cases of interparty violence and arbitrary arrests on polling day. In Goromonzi South it was reported that ZANU-PF members attacked the CCC candidate, Rueben Chikudo and his chief election agent among other CCC supporters on 24 August. It is alleged that the CCC chief elections agent was injured and is in hospital as a result of the assault. CCC supporter, Godfrey Chiatake was also allegedly assaulted at the instigation of the aspiring member of parliament for ZANU-PF Nhatiso Makusha at DA Agritex Hall Bikita West. ZANU-PF Kwekwe Central, ward 8 local authority aspirant, Edu Makomborero Mlambo was allegedly assaulted by CCC members — a police report was filed. Examples of arbitrary arrests include the arrest of Chitungwiza South Constituency member of parliament for CCC, Maxwell Mavhunga in the early hours of 24 August 2023 and citizens who were also arrested on 23 August 2023 after they questioned the legality of the operations by FAZ in Mutasa and Mutare.
Attacks against human rights defenders The Forum remains shocked by the raid and arrests of 39 civic society members from Zimbabwe Election Support Network (ZESN) and Election Resources Center (ERC) on 24 August. Both organisations, which had been accredited by ZEC were operating within their mandate of informing citizens in real time on happenings on polling day and conducting parallel tabulation of election results which is legal. Since 2100hrs on 23 August, the arrested persons were being held incommunicado until around midday on 24 August when the ZRP Spokesperson, Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi issued a statement confirming their arrest. They were charged with contravening sec 66 of the Electoral Act which criminalises purported publication of results before official announcement. It is clear from the proceedings that police officers arrested to investigate and denied arrested persons access to legal counsel for more than 12 hours. The arrested persons were granted US$200 bail each at the Harare Magistrate’s Court on 25 August 2023, which remains one of the harshest bail set for human rights defenders in recent times.
Integrity of the voter’s roll The Forum is further perturbed by issues around the integrity of the voter’s roll. This manifested in the absence of a voters roll at some urban polling stations, missing names of voters despite participation in the inspection processes, fatal errors in the reflection of names and appearance of names in other polling stations other than the one identified in the inspection phase. Political parties did not have access to the final voters roll until less than a week before polling. Despite the Electoral Act espousing that at least 48 hours before polling all polling stations should have displayed the voter’s roll, this was not the case. One polling station in Glen Norah Harare did not have a displayed voters roll as of 2300hrs on the first day of polling which was outside the normal polling times, which was due to end at 1900hrs. A substantial number of citizens estimated to be 1 in 15 voters were turned away from polling stations because their names were missing on the voters’ roll. For example, in Epworth, Dangamvura, Nkulumane 10, Kuwadzana Phase 3, Bulawayo South Ward 5, Hopley. Citizens who were victims of this were disenfranchised of their right to vote and this was grossly unfair to them.
Our Recommendations
The listed irregularities are not exhaustive and it is against this background that the Forum strongly urges the Zimbabwean government to urgently:
i. Mandate ZRP to investigate and publicly bring to finality the brutal attacks on the electorate at Kambuzuma Polling Station.
ii. Immediately drop all charges against the 39 civic society members who were arrested for discharging their mandate and to return confiscated material.
iii. Acknowledge and address the gross polling day process irregularities before pursuing a rushed electoral outcome.
iv. Set up an independent fact-finding body that will reach concrete findings that explain ZEC’s gross unpreparedness or engineered incompetence and publicly-level liability on ZEC.
v. Publicly bring named FAZ voter intimidation and violence perpetrators to book.
vi. Compel ZRP to investigate and arrest all named perpetrators of political violence on polling days.
vii. Ensure a safe and peaceful environment that is rid of intimidation and harassment for all citizens as they await pronouncement of results.