Mawarire, the founding trustee for the Centre for Elections and Democracy in Southern Africa, is in a celebratory mood following the Zimbabwe Constitutional Court ruling last week.
The court ruling handed down by Chief Justice Godfrey Chidyausiku, which ‘favoured’ President Robert Mugabe’s calls for early elections without reforms, left people with the perception that Mawarire could be helping the Zanu (PF) agenda.
Another Jonathan Moyo
“I regard Mawarire as another Zanu (PF) Jonathan Moyo. Chances are that he is a Zanu (PF) apologist, since every democrat is aware that Zimbabwe cannot hold free and fair elections without outstanding and agreed reforms,” said Farai Nyandoro of Marondera. The Mawire court victory was described as an affront to the spirit of the GPA.
Carlos Mudzongo, a Harare resident, said: “The push for an early poll before the election could only have come from a non democrat”. He said naturally the election date should come out of decisions made by GNU principals in conformity with SADC standards. With the 2008 election horror still vivid in people’s minds, Mudzongo said Mawarire’s court case only served to expose his ‘agenda’.
Faith Mutizwa said true democrats would push for elections towards the end of the year after the playing field had been levelled. “There is no prize for guessing that Mawarire could be furthering Zanu (PF) interests. There is no way a rights activist and democrat would want Zimbabwe to slide back to the bloody June 2008 political violence, which claimed hundreds of innocent lives and left thousands of other people displaced,” said Faith.
Just a front
Tonderai Chitaguda described Mawarire as a Zanu (PF) front created to facilitate a rushed election without reforms.
“Zanu (PF) is ill-prepared for an election and is creating avenues and possible escape routes to the poll without agreed reforms,” said Chitaguda.
A Marondera resident, Johannes Razunguza, said he was shocked by the Constitutional Court ruling. He said even laymen were aware that with the GPA in place there was no way the courts could push for polls without input from GNU principals.
He described the Mawire court application as ‘one of those Zanu (PF) behind the scenes ploys’.
Political activist, Loren Mutizwa, said Mawarire’s motive would be difficult to ascertain.
“Mawarire could be championing a Zanu (PF) agenda. I find it difficult to believe that his project is for the people,” said Mutizwa.
Political analyst Pedzisai Ruhanya shifted the blame from Mawarire to the judiciary, which he said came up with a flawed judgement.
Judiciary subversion
“The court outcome was beyond Mawarire’s control since it was a clear judiciary subversion,” said Ruhanya.
He added that it was hard to believe that the courts came up with such a judgement, knowing that President Robert Mugabe could not proclaim election dates before amendments to the Electoral Act.
When contacted by The Zimbabwean for comment, Mawarire refused to speak to the media. “Visit the internet and get the court ruling since I have nothing more to say,” said Mawarire. When pressured by The Zimbabwean to reveal whose ‘democratic interests’ he wanted to serve by securing an early election date without reforms, Mawarire said he was shutting his mouth and would not discuss anything else.
In recent interviews, Mawarire denied pushing a Zanu (PF) agenda. “I am not Zanu (PF) and the application I made at the Constitutional Court was for my personal benefit as a citizen. I wanted the courts to assist me interpret the position of the constitution regarding election dates,” said Mawarire.
MDC-T President and Zimbabwe Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, said his party was worried that some people would manipulate the courts on the issue of elections.
“In responding to an individual applicant, you want to marginalise and undermine the rights of millions of people because you have not fulfilled certain constitutional provisions as required by the constitution before holding elections,” said Tsvangirai during his recent tour of Bulawayo.
MDC boycott
Tsvangirai warned that his party might consider boycotting coming elections if reforms were not addressed.
Various political parties such as Zapu, Mavambo/Dawn/Kusile and MDC have formed a coalition to fight Mugabe’s bid to proclaim election dates before agreed reforms are made.
Zanu (PF) said it will respect the court ruling and call for elections by July 31.
“We will behave as stipulated by the courts regarding holding of elections. If MDC-T chooses to boycott the election, Zanu (PF) will go ahead without them,” said Zanu (PF) spokesperson Rugare Gumbo.
The SADC Troika urged Zimbabwe to finalise outstanding issues in the implementation of the Global Political Agreement and preparations for holding free and fair elections.
Civic society organisations are concerned by the prevailing unfavourable conditions and the limited time before the elections.
“Impartiality by constitutional bodies, the judiciary and state institutions, especially the security sector, before, during and after the election must be guaranteed ahead of the poll. The will of the people must be respected and made irreversible,” said the CSOs in a petition directed to the recently aborted Maputo SADC summit on Zimbabwe.
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