IEC’S ZIM VISIT CAUSES UPROAR
Opposition leaders have come out with guns blazing to strongly condemn the two-day visit, with many suggesting it could be interpreted as an endorsement or tacit approval of ZEC’S electoral process - a process which SADC described as not only “shambolic” but also as having fallen short of regional and international standards during their general elections last year.
However, in response to the criticism, the IEC office in Botswana defended the trip, which took place on Tuesday and Wednesday this week. The office insists the outing was to specifically examine the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission’s (ZEC) Accreditation
Machine for Election Observers and not to benchmark.
According to the IEC, this machine is used to generate accreditation cards for individuals who come to observe elections in Zimbabwe.
Commenting on ZEC’S claims, a Zimbabwean academic, a lecturer in politics and diplomacy, Dr Nkululeko Sibanda, said it was absolutely shocking that although SADC had strongly condemned the quality of elections in Zimbabwe last year, Botswana found it fit to benchmark at ZEC.
“I must state, however, that the IEC’S lousy excuse that they had come to look at some machine is a bit comforting because it tells you that they have come to a realisation that they have been caught
out putting the good name of the IEC into disrepute. ZEC does not manufacture any accreditation machine, why come to ZEC to look at a machine, instead of visiting the actual manufacturers of the said machine?” Sibanda asked.
While the IEC’S explanation aims to clarify the purpose of the visit and address concerns about electoral integrity, the controversy surrounding the trip underscores the sensitive nature of electoral processes and international relations. The differing perspectives on the matter highlight the challenges of navigating diplomatic engagements, especially in contexts where there are perceptions of electoral manipulation or irregularities.
For detailed views from political leaders and IEC office, see