Why Zim does not need elections

By Cleopas Murapa | Jan 25, 2024 | 3 Min read

Do we need elections for us to develop and be happy as a country?

DEMOCRACY means rule by the people. A democratic country has a system of government where people have the power to participate in decision-makingHistory have shown us that Democracy means many things depending on which country is interpreting it. My first example is the United States, which considers itself a democracy but over the years, it has had a number of laws that deter people of colour from voting. For example the listed Bills below

Iowa Senate File 413: Criminalising election officials for protecting voters.
Texas SB. 1: Targeting Election workers and restricting mail voting.

As of 2022, 48 states prohibited felons from voting. In 2022, an estimated 4,6 million Americans, or 2% of the voting-age population, were ineligible to vote due to these laws and most of these are black people, but still the US considers itself a democracy.Coming to Zimbabwe, the great nation and its people, I believe in redoing or undoing the current Constitution to establish a zero party Zimbabwe or one Zimbabwe and abolish elections.

Do we need elections for us to develop and be happy as a country? My answer is no. We have seen since 1980 that elections cause unresolved disputes, fighting, hatred and mostly wastage of resources (hundreds of millions of dollars) per election cycle is wasted to create disputes.

Should we abolish elections and let Zanu PF run the country alone?What is next if we do not conduct elections?This is my opinion, which can be unpopular with others, but makes sense if we are realistic about what is obtaining on the ground in our country, which I believe can be a template to develop our country and continent and put aside self-aggrandisement.

I call this idea zero party Zimbabwe or one Zimbabwe.Every Zimbabwean knows that elections are not a solution to our issues because two major parties Zanu PF and the CCC will never agree on the outcome of the elections. This creates huge divisions because the winner takes all and the loser loses all and the circle repeats every five years and a lot of costly by-elections in between the years that cost the country millions of dollars that could be used for infrastructural development.

First, any negotiated settlement or discussions should start by accepting who the President is, because failure to accept this fact will not yield anything.Second, any discussion should start by mentioning that the current Presidium remains in office. Third, any discussion should emphasise that the security leaders (military, air force, intelligence, police and prison services) should remain as they are.

Allow the Presidium to invite all respected church leaders that they feel comfortable working with that shall form the committee of elders. These elders will then work with the Presidium to invite major players from all corners of the country, politicians, business leaders, military, war vets, youth and every important citizen to be part of the discussion.Point one: Let us agree as zero party Zimbabwe or one Zimbabwe to abolish elections based on frameworks agreed by all players and put emphasis on developing the country.Point two: Let the Presidium work with the church leaders to create the leadership that will govern the country.Let us learn and copy how the Chinese Communist Party drafted its laws to run the country without elections and bring everyone on board and abolish party politics and assume one Zimbabwe politics and ideology.

Let us have emphasis on a communist-like constitution that nationalises all the country’s natural resources. Let us invite experts from the United Arab Emirates to help us nationalise all the country’s mineral wealth and learn how they developed their country from own resources.Let us have one government wallet (transparent homwe yenyika) that is accessible by citizens for transparency and development.Let us collectively put emphasis on development and zero tolerance to corruption. Let us have clear laws that punish heavily those involved in corruption in public service.Let us all agree to develop the country collectively with everyone involved.

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Cleopas Murapa is a Zimbabwean working as an IT engineer in the United States and believes Zimbabwe can do better if we put party politics aside and work together as one family. He writes here in his personal capacity.