Listen to the people

We are relieved that SADC and the mediator, President Jacob Zuma, heeded the complaints from the two MDC formations, concerns that are shared by the majority of Zimbabweans, regarding the selfish and ill-advised manner in which Mugabe had set the date for the election.

It was clear right from the start that, even though the Constitutional Court had ruled that the general election must be held by July 31, a lot of things were wrong about that timeline. There was need to seriously consider prevailing conditions to determine if that deadline was wise or even constitutional.

There was also a concern that resonated among Zimbabweans that Mugabe had acted unilaterally and on bad advice from his advisors when he invoked the Presidential Powers to pass amendments to the Electoral Act.

It has always been obvious that the hard core in Zanu (PF) wants a rushed election to safeguard its own interests, yet a hurried poll would work to the detriment of democracy and the majority of people in this country. Zimbabwean citizens and other concerned stakeholders had rightly pointed out that it was not prudent—and illegal to a large extent—to abide by the court’s deadline.

So many things need to be set right before we can hold the election. Parliament is involved in refining the Electoral Act and other statutes such as the Public Order and Security Act, the Criminal (Codification and Reform) Act and the Broadcasting Services Act to bring them in line with the Constitution. Also, as many people argued, there is need to adhere to other constitutional provisos regarding voter registration, the notice period for nominations and the time before a presidential decree on poll dates.

Now, the message is clear. The President and the hard core in his party must stop acting unilaterally and heed what the people are saying. Reforms must be made. Enough time should be given to raise the necessary resources and it should be ensured that all eligible voters are registered. Zimbabwe is a beautiful country with the potential to be a regional and African powerhouse – rather than a very lucrative tuck shop for Mugabe, his cronies and the Chinese.