Not so much about the poll as the second chance
Today is a new day for Zimbabwe. It is the first time in 37 years that the country’s five million voters will see a ballot list without Robert Mugabe’s name on it. It is of course, delusional to imagine this will be a totally clean election. The stakes are sky high for the political elite and their cronies. And red flags have already been raised. On Wednesday intimidation topped the list of violations reported by the Heal Zimbabwe Trust in their July human rights report. The civil society organisation listed 82 cases in 23 districts countrywide, including assault, forced participation at political gatherings, and partisan distribution of aid.
The opposition MDC-Alliance has also accused the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission of bias and the situation got so tenuous last week that it seemed the MDC might pull out of the polls.
This was not impossible given that in 2008 the late opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai was forced to bow out of the presidential run-offs after 170 MDC members were killed and 800 were raped and beaten.
But although imperfect, the current situation holds far more promise.
For one thing Mnangagwa has demonstrated tangible commitment to restoring transparency and legitimacy by inviting Commonwealth and EU observer teams, who were previously banned, to assess the electoral process.
And yesterday observer missions and embassies all expressed confidence in the country’s readiness.
This of course, does not guarantee post electoral peace, especially if Zanu-PF loses. Surveys last week suggested an extremely tight race – 50/47 to the ruling party. And so great are the contending forces inside the ruling party that not even President Emerson Mnangagwa is safe – he escaped with his life in June after a bomb made its way through the security cordon at a rally.
Analysts also do not think he has all of the military behind him.
But win or lose there is nonetheless cause for hope – if not for perfect democracy, then for a continuation of the progress made so far.
This is for one simple reason – all Zimbabweans have felt the pain of hitting rock bottom. They know what collapse, ruin and isolation feels like.
They know too that this election is not so much about who wins or loses but is rather about collectively getting up and making the most of a second chance – no matter the technical result.
Although imperfect, the current situation holds far more promise