Politicians divided on diaspora vote

Gift Nyathi

As Zimbabwe prepares  for the upcoming harmonised elections, Matebeleland  parliamentarians are divided on the contentious diaspora vote.

The Electoral Act (section 23) requires that citizens must satisfy the residence qualification, which means that an aspiring voter must be resident in that constituency at the date of his or her claim for registration. Citizens in the diaspora do not satisfy this requirement. Chief Justice Malaba is on record saying, “Under the Zimbabwean electoral system, a voter votes not only as a citizen of this country but also to protect his or her rights and interests as a resident of the constituency in which he or she is registered.”

Community Podium spoke to  Hwange Central MP Daniel Molokele who argued that the country must introduce the diaspora vote  in the 2023 presidential  elections because it  is lagging behind in terms of inclusivity where a big portion of the citizens are left behind in electoral processes because they are overseas. 

“We must introduce the Diaspora vote initially for the presidential election which is not Constituency based and this can be done  in stages where we identify  countries that have the highest numbers of Zimbabweans. All other SADC countries now have the Diaspora vote. Zimbabwe has now been left behind as far as this issue is concerned.”

Molokele suggested  that  the country should start with a few Zimbabwean embassies across the Diaspora.

In an interview with Community Podium, MP for Tsholotsho South Musa Ncube expressed misgivings over granting the diaspora vote raising issues of transparency and fairness. 

“If we enact such a vote, who will monitor the process to enshrine accountability,  transparency and fairness in relation to protection of the votes. It will be a challenge to entrust anyone with transporting those votes from the Diaspora to the country without allegations and accusations that those individuals having tempered with those votes. I understand  that they are saying they are being excluded from voting process but elections must be free, fair and transparent but this move has flaws.  Some of the people in the Diaspora have denounced their citizenship and how will they participant in the elections?”

I would suggest that those who are interested in voting make the effort to come and vote where they are assured of the safety of their votes because diaspora voting is bound to compromise the fairness and transparency hence the very same people who cry of exclusion  are bound  to bemoan the process claiming rigging and deliberate tempering with their votes.”

Nkayi North MP Sthembiso Nyoni weighed in and said Zimbabwe is a democratic country hence there is need to follow the constitution and if majority of the people want there will be need to revisit the constitution and align it with diaspora voting.

One Tsholotsho resident, Thobekile Dube said diaspora voting is important as they depend on them for survival.  

“A large potion of Matebeleland depends on the Diaspora for survival and therefore including them in the electoral processes is essential njengoba  siphila ngabo they are contributing big time to the country’s economy. They surely should vote,” she said.

Zimbabwe’s diaspora remittances reached US$797 million in the first six months of the year 2022, representing a 23 percent increase in the corresponding period last year.

 A Zimbabwean from Tsholotsho based in neighbouring South Africa  said they are eager to participate in elections.

 “Personally i would love to vote because political issues back home affect us when we visit so it is better if we are given a chance to have a say through electing our leaders. Coming to Zimbabwe for elections presents a financial  challenge as most of us are not yet financially stable for frequent travelling”.

In 2021, parliament enacted the Second Amendment Bill on the Constitution which incorporates the Electoral  Amendment Bill but the bill is silent on the diaspora vote. There are no provisions that speak on the issue. South Africa, Namibia,  Botswana and Zambia are already practising the diaspora vote.

Analysts have in the past accused the ruling Zanu PF of blocking the diaspora vote because it knows most Zimbabweans in the diaspora would vote against it, given that they fled an economy run by the Zanu PF-led government.

In its defence, Zanu PF has said the diaspora vote would not be fair given that its leadership are on sanctions and therefore cannot travel and campaign in the diaspora.

The Electoral Act states that only Zimbabwean citizens who are on duty as a member of a disciplined force or as an electoral officer; or on duty in the service of the Government outside Zimbabwe and spouses may vote from abroad via a postal vote. This restriction denies Zimbabwean citizens working abroad the right to vote. Postal voting applies to persons who are ordinarily resident in Zimbabwe and are registered voters on the voters’ roll but are outside the country because their duties require that they be outside Zimbabwe on polling day. This is a class of people deemed not to have made a conscious decision to leave the country but do so on national duty.

In a legal case, Registrar General of Elections & Ors v Morgan Tsvangirai in 2002,  the court determined that electoral authorities are not under a legal duty to provide machinery in foreign countries to record votes of Zimbabwean citizens registered as voters who live there and are unable to attend personally at polling stations in their constituencies.