ZANU-PF’s Political Reforms to Rig Elections
By Arthur G.O. Mutambara
former Deputy Prime Minister of Zimbabwe
We have been talking about the need for political reforms to level the
political playing field thus facilitating credible, free and fair
elections in Zimbabwe. While we have argued that political reforms are
necessary but not sufficient, we have also emphasised that without these
reforms all other interventions are futile. We having been insisting on
dialogue and agreement about these reforms, and thereafter their
effective implementation.
As we posit these averments, it is
instructive to note that ZANU-PF is actually designing and implementing
political reforms – albeit in the opposite direction! While we are in a
political slumber and majoring in minors, ZANU-PF is busy carrying out
political changes to enable the theft and rigging of elections. More
importantly, they are putting in place political reforms that will allow
them to steal or rig those polls with absolute impunity.
One of
the key objectives of the 2013 Constitution was to whittle down the
authority of an all-powerful presidency. This was not sufficiently
addressed but significant inroads were made. However, on 17 December
2019, the ZANU-PF government announced a raft of measures to roll-back
that progress and reintroduce an imperial presidency through
Constitutional Amendment Bill, 2019. They seek to remove the running
mate clause so that the President will appoint and fire his two
deputies. They intend to abolish the use of public hearings from the
appointment of Judges and return that authority to the President.
Furthermore, they propose the appointment by the President of the
following: Chief Secretary to President and Cabinet and the deputies;
Public Protector and deputy; and the Prosecutor General. This an
unequivocal and unambiguous reconstruction of the pre-2013 all-powerful
presidency. In fact, it is even more consolidated and over-reaching than
obtaining pre-2013.
An imperial presidency is central to the
orchestration of fraudulent electoral processes. It enables the rigging
of elections and guarantees impunity for electoral theft. When one is
aggrieved with electoral outcomes, where do you go? To the courts (High
Court, Supreme Court, and Constitutional Court), right? Who will be
manning those courts? Compromised judges appointed by an illegitimate
President who is a product of electoral theft! What justice do you
expect?
A further cynical part of the ZANU-PF’s Constitutional
changes announced on 17 December, is the obvious and shameless reward to
Chief Justice Luke Malaba for his role in upholding the results of the
fraudulent 2018 Presidential elections. He is due for retirement soon,
but ZANU-PF has put a specific provision that allows him (beyond the
retirement age of 70) to renew his contract annually, for a period not
exceeding five years. How sick can we get?
Let us be woke.
Political reforms are taking place. There are just in the opposite
direction. ZANU-PF is busy implementing reforms to rig elections with
absolute impunity.