Staff Writer
Despite women constituting 52% of the voting population in Zimbabwe, they are significantly underrepresented in leadership positions according to Zimbabwe Election Support Network.
In its preliminary statement on the 3 February 2024 national assembly by–elections, ZESN said there was need to address the disparities.
“The challenges facing female participation in Zimbabwe’s elections remains evident and very low, therefore the need for increased efforts to address these disparities. With respect to the 3 February 2024, out of the 16 candidates across the six (6) Constituencies only one (1) was female, Moreblessing Tembo of the CCC.
“However, women’s participation in the administration of these by-elections was commendable as ZESN observers’ reports showed that there was a near balance of gender in the deployment of Presiding Officers and Polling Officials,” ZESN reports.
“Additionally, it is ZESN’s view that the reservation of special seats for women in Parliament and local authority councils has had the unintended effect of discouraging women’s participation in constituency and ward elections, as political parties, which are predominantly male-dominated, expect women candidates to contest the reserved seats while keeping constituency and ward seats for men.”
In line with its mission to promote democratic free and fair electoral processes through objectively and impartially observing elections in Zimbabwe, ZESN observed the 3 February 2024 National Assembly by-elections.
The by-elections were conducted in Chegutu West, Goromonzi South, Mkoba North, Pelandaba-Tshabalala, Seke, and Zvimba East. National Assembly vacancies arose following recalls of six incumbent legislators.
The legislators who were all elected in the 23 August 2023 Harmonised Elections under Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC), were recalled by the party’s ‘interim Secretary General’ Sengezo Tshabangu who declared they had ceased to be members of the political party with effect from 14 November 2023 are; Addmore Chivero – Chegutu West; Stephen Chatiza – Goromonzi South; Amos Chibaya – Mkoba North; Gift Ostallos Siziba – Pelandaba-Tshabalala; Willard Tapfumaneyi Madzimbamuto – Seke and Oliver Mutasa – Zvimba East.
On 12 January 2024, ‘interim Secretary General’ Sengezo Tshabangu filed an application at the High Court of Zimbabwe seeking to bar 23 candidates (three National Assembly and 20 Local Authority candidates) from contesting in the 3 February 2024 by-elections. On 20 January 2024, the High Court ruled in favour of Sengezo Tshabangu and barred previously recalled parliamentarians and councillors from contesting in the by-election under the CCC’s banner.
The High Court granted a declaration that the Nomination Court had erred in accepting the nomination papers of three ex-MPs namely Gift Siziba of Pelandaba -Tshabalala constituency, Amos Chibaya of Mkoba North and Stephen Chatiza of Goromonzi South as they had not been readmitted into the party following their recalls.
As a result of the ruling, the trio were barred from contesting in the 3 February National Assembly by-elections.
About Author
