DITSHWANELO
BOCISCOZ Press statement about the Zimbabwe harmonised elections process July 2013
On 22 August 2013, Robert Mugabe was sworn in for his seventh term as the President of Zimbabwe. This
followed the Harmonised Elections of 31 July 2013, which the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission declared that he
had won with 61.09% of the votes.
On 10 August 2013, The Botswana Civil Society Solidarity Coalition for Zimbabwe (BOCISCOZ) hosted a
regional Southern Africa civil society workshop about the recently held Zimbabwe Harmonised Elections 2013.
The workshop was facilitated by DITSHWANELO – The Botswana Centre for Human Rights (Secretariat of
BOCISCOZ).
During the workshop, members of civil society organisations from Zimbabwe, South Africa, Malawi and
Botswana raised concerns, based on their own election process observations in Zimbabwe and a number of
statements from different election observer missions. The recurring issues were:
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Bias against urban voters in the voter registration process
Defects in the voters’ roll and its late release
No equal access to the state media
Lack of peaceful conditions
Failure to implement agreed reforms
Excessive printing of ballot papers
No full participation of the citizens in the political process
Suspiciously high number of assisted voters
Bussing in of people from outside constituencies
Contested election time and rules
Presence of police inside polling stations
Poorly managed special vote and
Use of voter registration slips
The Gaborone 10 August 2013 Workshop concluded that due to the nature and extent of the irregularities, the July
2013 Harmonised Elections (including the process) were not free, fair, credible or peaceful. The Workshop called
for an audit of the election process of the recently held elections.
Similar concerns were raised at the 9th Southern Africa Civil Society Forum held on 10-14 August 2013 prior to
the SADC Summit in Lilongwe, Malawi. In its document of 14 August 2013, ‘The SADC We Want: Acting
Together – Ensuring Accountability’, The Fellowship of Christian Councils in Southern Africa (FOCCISA), the
For more information please contact: DITSHWANELO – The Botswana Centre for Human Rights. Tel: +267 3906998; Cell: +267 71309468;
Fax: +267 3907778. Email: admin.ditshwanelo@info.bw. Website: www.ditshwanelo.org.bw .
Southern Africa Development Community Council of Non-Governmental Organisations (SADC CNGO) and the
Southern Africa Trade Union Coordination Council (SATUCC), urged SADC and its member states to hold
elections when ‘all preconditions for free, fair and credible elections are in place so that the potential of elections
to trigger conflicts is reduced’. It also called for an audit of the electoral process of the recently concluded
Zimbabwe Harmonised Elections of 31 July 2013.
It is clear from the above observations that there is widespread consensus among the civil society in Southern
Africa, that the Zimbabwe Harmonised Elections 2013 were not free, fair and credible.
BOCISCOZ commends the Government of the Republic of Botswana for calling for an independent audit in its
press statement of 5 August 2013. This was based on reports from Botswana observers of the July 2013 elections.
BOCISCOZ remains deeply concerned that despite evidence of several irregularities, which prevented the
elections from meeting the requirements stipulated in the SADC Principles and Guidelines Governing Democratic
Elections as well as the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance, both the SADC and AU
observer missions declared the elections as ‘free and peaceful’.
BOCISCOZ is concerned that the approval by SADC and the AU of contested elections which do not comply
with their guidelines for democratic elections, could lead to a loss of faith in the electoral process in Southern
Africa and across the continent.
The Gaborone 10 August 2013 Workshop produced a Statement which was submitted to the SADC Secretariat,
the SADC member states, national and regional media, civil society, development partners and diplomatic
missions. The full statement is available at www.ditshwanelo.org.bw .
BOCISCOZ therefore calls upon the Governments in Southern Africa to exercise responsible leadership and to be
accountable to their citizens through democratic elections and related processes. The latter provide a mechanism
through which governments can be held accountable by their citizens. By endorsing the Zimbabwe Harmonised
Elections 2013, in spite of the existence of the serious irregularities noted, our SADC leaders have chosen to
ignore the views of their citizens. Responsible governance is critical for the deepening of democratic processes in
our region. BOCISCOZ looks forward to future elections in the region, which comply with the accepted, SADCendorsed, regional standards for democratic elections.
Gaborone
26 August 2013
For more information please contact: DITSHWANELO – The Botswana Centre for Human Rights. Tel: +267 3906998; Cell: +267 71309468;
Fax: +267 3907778. Email: admin.ditshwanelo@info.bw. Website: www.ditshwanelo.org.bw .