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Report
on Local Authority Election and Hurungwe West By-Election 28-29
September 2002
Zimbabwe
Election Support Network (ZESN)
October
17, 2002
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Introduction
The
local authority elections held on 28-29 September 2002 were held
as part of the four year cycle of rural district council elections
to elect councillors in all the wards in the rural district councils
in Zimbabwe. The rural district councils were created following
the amalgamation of the previously white rural councils covering
mainly commercial farming areas and previously black district councils
covering mainly communal and resettlement areas.
The two have
now being combined so that a typical rural district council will
include in its boundaries, commercial, resettlement, communal, purchase
areas and rural growth points.
Urban council
elections are due to be held in August 2003. However there are some
wards which have become vacant as a result of removal of the councillor
through death or disqualification. These were combined with the
rural district council elections and held on the same days although
the inspection of the voters’ roll took place earlier than that
for the districts.
Also held concurrently
with the rural district council elections was the Hurungwe West
Parliamentary By-Election to fill the vacancy left by the death
of the Member of Parliament, Mr Mark Madiro. Nomination for this
election was held on 14th August 2002. Justin Dandawa
and Phone Madiro brother to the late Mark were duly nominated as
candidates for the MDC and Zanu-PF respectively.
The significance
of local authority elections
Local
authority elections are significant in so far as they are the cornerstone
for political mobilisation and local government level. It is the
first entry point, regardless of the fact it is considered inconsequential
has the residents participate in the socio-economic debate at village,
district and provincial level. The development of such a unit in
terms of awareness of political and human rights which will in turn
impact on national politics would have been an ideal situation and
a norm that will ensure greater participation of the residents of
an area in the national politics of the country.
The elections
are unique in that they are the only election in which a resident
can successfully influence the running of a neighbourhood. For instance,
one would influence the system involved in water and sewage reticulation,
rates, health and education, social amenities and the town, city
and/or district budgets.
In particular,
the just ended election was a pivotal point where power sharing
and franchises between the two main political parties was tested.
To ZANU PF the election was conceded to be a battle for supremacy
and political space. As a ruling party, its aim was to consolidate
power at all levels of governance starting from central to local
governance using any means at their disposal. Penetration and proliferation
of the party will be vital since there is a threat in the form of
the opposition. The rural electorate, whose accustomed allegiance
to ZANU PF which is unfailing needed only to reaffirm their loyalty
as they did and aid the party to retain control over the territory
which has fond and nostalgic memories of the liberation struggle.
According to reports there are areas where the elections only has
the ruling party fielding a candidate. This would then mean that
the election will be uncontested. A characteristic feature of the
just ended local authority election was the numerous uncontested
elections. It was alleged that opposition candidates were intimidated
and beaten as a way of ensuring that they did not participate in
the election. To the opposition, the election would facilitate the
creation of more political fiefdom within the local governance arena.
The quality
of elected councillors would impact on the services they would deliver
hence the need to conscientise people to vote for merit not according
to the principles of a political party which would see local governance
transcending party politics and idiosyncrasies.
Conclusion
The
real winner in these elections was voter apathy. Voter turnout,
which had begun to rise with the constitutional referendum in February
2000 through the June 2000 Parliamentary Election and peaking with
the March 2002 election, was very low. This can be attributed to
many factors including the election related violence and intimidation;
despondency following the results of the March 2002 presidential
election, the economic crisis and the spectre of the impending famine.
Clearly the citizens have lost faith in elections as a tool that
they themselves can use to effect real material changes in their
lives. The challenge is for all political parties and civic organisations
to show that indeed elections have the potential to change lives
and for the better.
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fact sheet
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