Eternal Election Season: Zimbabwe Holds Third By-Elections In 84 Days

ZIMSPHERE

The country will once again conduct by-elections to fill the vacancies of six National Assembly seats and twenty-eight Local Authority wards, this becoming the third by-election since August 2023, and the second time in two months. 

Will election season ever end? — Zimbabwe holds its third By-Elections in three months, which have come at a cost of over US$15 million

By-elections will be conducted in accordance with Statutory Instrument 235 of 2023, Proclamation 10 of 2023 to fill the parliamentary seats left vacant by the recalls of six (6) incumbent legislators. 

The by-elections have been largely triggered by self-imposed Citizens Coalition for Change(CCC) Secretary General Sengezo Tshabangu’s mass recalls of elected officials within the party. 

On 19 January, the High Court upheld an application by Tshabangu to remove 23 CCC party candidates from the ballot. Tshabangu maintains that the 23 have ceased to be members of the party. 

The 23 had defiantly filed their nomination papers under the CCC which had recalled them in the first place, defying an earlier order by the High Court that prohibited recalled MPs from running for office in by-elections under the opposition party’s banner.

At least six constituencies will be having by-elections, among them Seke, Goromonzi South, Pelandaba-Tshabalala; Chegutu West; Zvimba East, and Mkoba North.

Those barred from contesting in the polls under the CCC banner include deputy spokesperson Gift Ostallos Siziba who was a legislator for Pelandaba-Tshabalala, former leader of the opposition in Parliament Amos Chibaya who was Mkoba North Member of Parliament, and Stephen Chagwiza who was representing Goromonzi South.

Some Local Authority seats have already been filled by ZANU PF, since they are the only party who managed to field candidates for the vacant seats. 

These include Wards 6 and 7 of Chiredzi Town Council, taken by Coste Mombe and Brighton Mahiya respectively; Ward 5 and 18 of Harare Municipality, now represented by Abdurrahman Supa and Rufaro MAtsika respectively; and Ward 7 Manyame RDC taken by Simbarashe Ngarande. 

About 230,400 ballot papers have been printed for the six constituencies, which have 215,932 registered voters. For local authority by-elections, ZEC has printed 136,850 ballot papers. 

The 552 polling stations will all be ready for use today, and the Zimbabwe Electoral Commision has assured citizens that election command centres have already been identified and made ready.

The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) had set aside about US$6 million, or the equivalent in the local currency, for the by-elections. This brings the total cost of by-elections held since August 2023 to over US$15 million.