Zimbabwe Elections

The will of the people must be heard

While there have been a number of media reports suggesting contradictory messages from the ANC and government on the recent Zimbabwe elections, closer examination of statements made since the election shows a single common message - that the will of the people of Zimbabwe must be heard. The presidential elections results must be released.

Zimbabweans went to the polls on 29 March in presidential, house of assembly, senate and local council elections, the first time that four elections have been held simultaneously. The elections took place against the backdrop of a serious economic and social crisis, and political tensions that have plagued the country over the last few years.

These elections were held within the time required by the constitution, as have all elections since independence in 1980. They took place within a framework that emanates from a SADC-mandated mediation process, facilitated by President Thabo Mbeki. This mediation process primarily involved ZANU-PF and the two factions of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC). This helped to create an environment conducive to free, fair and peaceful elections.

There is now general agreement that the people of Zimbabwe were able to vote freely and without interference, and that the vote itself was credible.

The SADC Electoral Observer Mission (SEOM), which consisted of 163 observers from 11 countries, issued a preliminary statement on 30 April on the conduct of the elections. It said:

"These elections were characterised by high levels of peace, tolerance and political vigour by party leaders, candidates and their supporters. No violence was observed countrywide except for a few incidences like the one in Bulawayo where the house of a ZANU-PF candidate was bombed.

"With regards to the polling process, it is the mission's view that the elections were conducted in an open and transparent manner. The voting process was meticulously witnessed by observers and party agents. The polling stations generally opened and closed at the prescribed times and voters behaved in an orderly manner and exercised their franchise peacefully, freely and unhindered.

"The vote counting process was conducted meticulously and lawfully under the intense scrutiny of observers, party agents and electoral officers.

"Notwithstanding the mammoth logistical challenges these harmonised elections brought to bear on all concerned, the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) demonstrated high levels of professionalism, resilience and hard work in organising these complex elections."

The mission did however highlight a number of areas of concern. These included the need to ensure more equitable access to state media for all political parties and candidates; more voter education; better efforts to distinguish normal and ongoing government activities from deliberate electioneering campaign activities; wider publication and verification of the voters' roll; and that the electoral authorities have adequate mechanisms to deal with complaints.

This assessment focused on the pre-election period, the voting itself, and the initial counting process. However, it is subsequent developments that have given cause for concern and contributed to heightened tension within the country.

In the days following the election, the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) released the results of the election for the House of Assembly, in which there are a total of 210 seats, and for the Senate, in which there are 60 seats. But it has not yet, three weeks after the election, released the results of the presidential poll.

Delayed presidential results

This has raised widespread concern, and has elicited comment from many quarters. The ANC has made its views plainly known. In a statement released last week, it said: "The ANC calls on the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission to release the results of the Presidential election as soon as possible. It further calls on all parties to address whatever concerns they may have through the appropriate legal channels. Whatever the results of this election, the will of the people should be respected."

This position has been underlined by public statements by various ANC leaders, and is consistent with what government has been saying, and is echoed in the decisions of the extra-ordinary summit of SADC leaders that took place in Zambia last weekend.

The Communiqué released after the SADC summit said:

"The Summit urged the electoral authorities in Zimbabwe that verification and release of results are expeditiously done in accordance with the due process of law. Summit also urged all the parties in the electoral process in Zimbabwe to accept the results when they are announced.

"By due process of law, Summit understood to mean that: (a) the verification and counting must be done in the presence of candidates and/or their agents, if they so wish, who must all sign the authenticity of such verification and counting. (b) SADC offers to send its Election Observer Mission who would be present throughout such verification and counting.

"If such verification and counting makes it necessary for the parties to go for a run-off, the government is urged to ensure that the run-off elections are held in a secure environment."

The SADC leaders also thank President Mbeki and his facilitation team for the role they had played in helping to contribute to the successful holding of the elections. They asked President Mbeki to continue in his role as facilitator on the outstanding issues in Zimbabwe.

ANC President Jacob Zuma, addressing business leaders in Ekurhuleni this week, said:

"We once again register our apprehension about the situation in Zimbabwe. The delay in the verification process and the release of results increases anxiety each day. We urge the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission to work closely with the affected parties and resolve these matters without delay.

"We also reiterate the appeal of the SADC Summit held over the weekend, that the ZEC should ensure strict compliance with the rule of law and SADC Principles and Guidelines governing democratic elections.

"The region cannot afford a deepening crisis in Zimbabwe. The situation is more worrying now given the reported violence that has erupted in the country.

"We wish the mediator, President Thabo Mbeki, all political parties and electoral authorities Godspeed as they seek an urgent and sustainable solution to this impasse."

Speaking to the media following a UN Security Council debate this week, President Thabo Mbeki said: "Everybody, including the people of the region, who met in Lusaka, Zambia over the weekend, everyone was saying that it is essential that these results be released. Everybody around the world is of one mind on this because we can then see what comes out of this."

All of these positions were again reiterated by the South African cabinet, which met earlier this week. In a statement released after the meeting, it said:

"These talks [facilitated by President Mbeki] laid a firm foundation for Zimbabweans to elect leaders of their choice in a process that was transparent. South Africa, like the rest of the world, is concerned about the delay in the release of results and the anxiety that this is generating. We are keen to see a speedy release of the election results as soon as possible.

"To that end, Cabinet endorsed the Southern African Development Community's (SADC) call for the verification and release of all the results as soon as possible. In line with the mandate accorded to President Mbeki by SADC, the South African government will do all it can to interact impartially with all the relevant players in Zimbabwe to ensure that the election process is concluded speedily and in a manner that enjoys the confidence and reflects the will of the people of Zimbabwe. This will set the stage for political stability and economic recovery that Zimbabweans and, indeed, their neighbours yearn for."

Consistent ANC approach

A number of commentators have claimed a shift in the ANC's approach to the resolution of the problems in Zimbabwe, and suggested a divergence between the ANC position and the position of the South African government.

Among the matters that have been seized upon to illustrate this, is the question of whether there is a crisis in Zimbabwe. President Mbeki was reported in Sunday newspapers to have said there was no crisis. The ANC Secretary General Gwede Mantashe was quoted the next day as saying there was indeed a crisis.

Speaking to journalists at the United Nations on Wednesday, President Mbeki said his comments had been made in response to a specific question about whether there was a crisis in the electoral process. "The story that I said there is no crisis, I do not have the slightest clue of where it comes from. The question was about the elections - it was not about the socio-economic conditions in Zimbabwe or anything like that," he said.

While the debate on whether or not there is a crisis rages on in the media, a look at the substantive issues reveals that the ANC's approach to Zimbabwe is consistent, and is reflected in the positions of the South African government.

The ANC has consistently maintained that the people and leaders of Zimbabwe would need to resolve the challenges facing the country. South Africa and other countries in the region should offer whatever assistance they could to facilitate dialogue. For this reason, the ANC and its government have resisted calls to make pronouncements that would undermine its ability to engage meaningfully with all the parties.

At its 52nd National Conference in Polokwane in December, the ANC resolved that: "The people of Zimbabwe in the main would find a solution to their current problems." It expressed support for South Africa's mediation effort as mandated by the SADC region.

In an interview with the Financial Times newspaper earlier this year, President Jacob Zuma said that the ANC's approach to Zimbabwe was the correct one, and that the actions of the South African government and President Mbeki have been guided by that approach.

"[N]obody in the world can say they have done better on Zimbabwe than us. Because nobody can produce any report of any significance as to what it is they have done to help Zimbabwe out of the problem. Some will tell you they've applied sanctions - have they helped? Some will say, we have condemned [President Mugabe] - has it helped? ... And therefore we engaged the ruling party and the opposition, and we have been engaging them all the time," he said.

The way forward

The situation in Zimbabwe remains uncertain. At its meeting earlier this week, the ANC National Working Committee rreiterated the organisation's position that the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) should announce the presidential election results without any further delay.

"The NWC expressed concern that the credibility of the ZEC will be questioned if it is perceived to have lost its objectivity. To hold a run-off vote when the election results are not known would be undemocratic and unprecedented.

"The ANC regards Zanu-PF as an ally. However, it regards the situation in Zimbabwe as dire, with negative consequences for the SADC region. The ANC will make contact directly with Zanu-PF and the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) with a view to having dialogue on the situation in Zimbabwe." The release of the results of the presidential poll must form the basis for the way forward. If no one candidate has received a majority of votes, and there is to be a run-off, then it is essential that the run-off poll is conducted in an environment conducive for the free expression of the will of the Zimbabwean electorate.

All parties, including state institutions, should therefore desist from any actions that could heighten tension or lead to instability. Any complaints that any of the parties may have should be pursued through the available legal channels.

The NWC made the point that its position on the elections in Zimbabwe should not be seen as favouring one party over another. The ANC regards ZANU-PF as a fraternal liberation movement, an ally in the effort to improve the lives of the people of Southern Africa. The ANC's position should be understood as part of its principled commitment to the basic tenets of democracy, that the voice of the people of Zimbabwe must be heard and that no government can justly claim authority unless it is based on the will of all the people.

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