The delimitation report tabled in Parliament on Friday has
been criticised by some shadowy groupings linked to President Emmerson
Mnangagwa and parliamentarians, including the opposition and independent
election watchdogs.
Those critical of the Zec report say it is
flawed and are accusing the commission
of gerrymandering by using the wrong formula to calculate the minimum
and maximum threshold of voters to determine the redrawing of electoral
boundaries ahead of the elections.
A Zanu PF activist Tonderai Chidawa and member
of a faction linked to Mnangagwa claimed that state security agents were
after him after he challenged the
delimitation report.
According to his lawyer Lovemore Madhuku, Chidawa was
subjected to torture after his capture by suspected state agents.
The Zimbabwe Democracy Institute (ZDI), a leading local
think-tank, in a report released yesterday titled: ZEC Delimitation Report -
Electoral Rigmarole and Elite Discohesion? said the delimitation exercise has
exposed the alleged tussle for the control of the ruling party between
Mnangagwa and his deputy Constantino Chiwenga.
ZDI said the fresh fights were a continuation of the battle
for the control of Zanu PF that started soon after the coup that toppled
long-time ruler Robert Mugabe in 2017.
It said factional wars also played out in the run-up to
Zanu PF’s congress last year when Mnangagwa retained his position as party
leader unchallenged.
“Fundamentally, the botched delimitation speaks to
infighting within the ruling party elites,” ZDI said.
“It is a continuation of the post-coup and post-2022 Zanu
PF congress, our view is that the delimitation report generally and overall
benefits Zanu PF as a political party, but disadvantages one faction in the
power matrix and configuration of the securocratic state.”
ZDI said the report also exposed the unresolved Zanu PF
leadership question post-Mugabe.
“The fact that seven out of nine commissioners most of whom
are recent appointees of President Mnangagwa have written distancing themselves
from the preliminary report leaves Zec divided between its chair (Priscila
Chigumba) and deputy chair (Rodney Kiwa) vis- a-vis the rest,” the think-tank
said.
The commissioners have reportedly written to Mnangagwa
expressing their opposition to the delimitation report.
“The divisions within Zec when understood in the context of
the court challenge by Tonderai Chidawa, a renowned ally of Mnangagwa during
the Zanu PF factional fights that led to Mnangagwa’s ascendancy to power and
the fast rebuke by the Parliament ad-hoc committee headed by Pupurai Togarepi
[exposed the infighting],” ZDI said
“Togarepi’s constituency of Gutu South in Masvingo was
wiped out despite having more registered voters, 186 453 compared to Gutu East
16 822 and Gutu North 15 359.
“It is, therefore, not surprising that the committee that
he heads has dismissed the report.
“One can argue that key Mnangagwa allies such as Togarepi
were key victims of the delimitation report in the grand power struggles in
Zanu PF.”
It added: “In conclusion, the Zec preliminary delimitation
report confirms assertions that have been averred by the ZDI since 2012 that
the independence of Zec is compromised by its strong links with the ruling
party and the securocratic state complex and incompetency to handle democratic,
free and fair election in Zimbabwe.”
According to ZDI, the noise surrounding the delimitation
document would have been avoided if Zec had done transparent, widespread
consultations.
“If Zec had widely consulted key stakeholders in Zimbabwe
as stated in section 37(A) of the Electoral Act, this error could have been
avoided,” ZDI said.
“The lack of quality consultation was deliberate in order
to simultaneously push and advance a factional position in the Zanu PF elite
power struggles and disadvantage the opposition.”
The Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition (CiCZ) said the Zec report
showed that Zimbabwe was not ready for elections.
CiCZ spokesperson Obert Masaraure said the state
involvement in electoral processes was a threat to a free and fair election.
“Zimbabwe is not ready for elections because we cannot be
discussing the delimitation report while Zec has totally made it difficult for
the people of Zimbabwe to access the voters’ roll,” Masaraure said during a
civil society and political parties discussion and reflections on the
delimitation report hosted by the Election Resource Centre (ERC).
Political analyst Maxwell Saungweme said the furore over
the report may be a ploy by the ruling party to delay or postpone this year's
elections
"What is all happening is a question of an
unaccountable independent election body which is the Zec and some political
groups which are not hopeful to win an election,” Saungweme said.
“The end game for Zanu PF is to delay the election.”
Mnangagwa will be seeking a second full term in office in
this year’s elections.
Soon after the 2018 elections the 80-year-old ruler
revealed that there were some Zanu PF MPs plotting to impeach him before he
could finish his term.
This was after Mnangagwa perfomed badly in some
constitutencies that were won comfortably by Zanu PF candidates. Standard
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