THE past few days have again proved that Zimbabwe is a free-for-all, desperately in need of leadership and a return to the rule of law.
NewsDay Comment
Registrar General Tobaiwa Mudede was at the centre of this hullabaloo when he said people with metal identity (ID) cards would have to register anew or face the ignominy of not being able to vote.
This elicited a strong response from the opposition and civil society, who said Mudede was intruding into an area that was not his concern and should keep quiet.
The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (Zec) has since sought to clear the air, saying according to the country’s laws, metal IDs have not been scrapped and were valid documents for voting.
The question arising is: Where did Mudede get the confidence to speak on something that clearly does not concern him? Voter registration is Zec’s business, which he has no input in.
Formerly, Mudede was responsible for registering voters, but according to the laws now, this function has been taken away from him and his office and is now controlled by Zec.
Thus, it is surprising that Mudede has grabbed Zec’s functions and is now making pronouncements on an issue that clearly does not concern.
- Chamisa under fire over US$120K donation
- Mavhunga puts DeMbare into Chibuku quarterfinals
- Pension funds bet on Cabora Bassa oilfields
- Councils defy govt fire tender directive
Keep Reading
Something is not right in this case and Mudede could be up to something.
Some observers fear that the timelines for the biometric voters’ registration (BVR) exercise are too tight and Zec may not meet them, which could see the country reverting to Mudede’s voters’ roll.
This could be disastrous.
It is not lost on Zimbabweans that in 2013, Mudede refused to give opposition parties the voters’ register, culminating in the disputed elections.
Mudede’s record in handling elections is quite chequered and an overwhelming number of people do not want him near polls. Thus, it is disconcerting and worrying when he begins making statements on elections and there is need for Zec to put him in his place.
Zec should be clear that there is no authority that deals with elections besides itself and any entity that speaks on elections should be dismissed with contempt.
Zimbabwe is desperate for a credible election, which could give the country a chance to remove itself from the political mess it finds itself in.
The country is too consumed in politics, which is a legacy of disputed elections, meaning there is no time to focus on other important issues, as political point scoring becomes the order of the day.
The first step towards holding credible elections is ensuring that Mudede is nowhere near the country’s electoral processes, while Zimbabwe also tries to stick to constitutionalism and the rule of law.
