Zimbabwe Election Support Network (ZESN)

Zimbabwe Election Support Network It is a coalition of more than 30 non-governmental organisations formed in 2000 to coordinate activities pertaining to elections in Zimbabwe. The major focus of the Network is to promote democratic processes in general and free and fair elections in particular. ZESN has observed every election and by-election in Zimbabwe since the 2000 Parliamentary Elections. ZESN conducts its observation efforts in conformity with the Declaration of Global Principles for Citizen Election Observation and Monitoring which was launched at the United Nations on 03 April 2012 as well as the Principles for Election Management, Monitoring and Observation in the SADC Region (PEMMO).

See A History of Zimbabwean Elections.

Members

1. Association of Women’s Clubs (AWC)
2. Bulawayo Agenda (BA
3. Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace (CCJPZ)
4. Civic Education Network Trust (CIVNET)
5. Combined Harare Residents Association (CHRA)
6. Counselling Services Unit (CSU)
7. Evangelical Fellowship of Zimbabwe (EFZ)
8. Federation of African Media Women (FAMWZ)
9. Legal Resources Foundation (LRF)
10. National Association of Societies for the Care of the Handicapped (NASCOH)
11. Organisation for Rural Association for Progress (ORAP)
12. Progressive Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (PTUZ)
13. Transparency International Zimbabwe (TIZ)
14. Women’s Action Group (WAG)
15. Women’s Trust
16. Youth Empowerment and Transformation Trust (YETT)
17. Zimbabwe Association for Crime Prevention and Rehabilitation of the Offender (ZACRO)
18. Zimbabwe Civic Education Trust (ZIMCET)
19. Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU)
20. Zimbabwe Human Rights Association (ZimRights)
21. Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR)
22. Zimbabwe Council of Churches (ZCC)
23. Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR)
24. Zimbabwe National Students Union (ZINASU)
25. Zimbabwe Peace Project (ZPP)
26. Zimbabwe Students Christian Movement (SCM.Z)
27. Zimbabwe Union of Journalists (ZUJ)
28. Zimbabwe Woman Lawyers Association (ZWLA)

Leadership

• Henry Masaya - Chairperson
• Mary-Jane Ncube - Deputy-Chairperson
• Temba Munsaka - Treasurer
• Roselyn Hanzi - ZLHR
• Gladys Hlatywayo - ZIMCET
• Frances Lovemore - CSU
• Jestina Mukoko - ZPP
• Abigal Matsvayi - ZWLA
• Mfundo Mlilo - CHRA
• Sally Dura - WCoZ
• Rindai Chipfunde Vava - Ex-officio

Events

In December 2022, Zimbabwe Election Support Network raised concern over proposed changes in the recently gazetted Electoral Amendment Bill, saying the amendments ignored pertinent electoral reforms. Without appropriate electoral reforms, the credibility of next year’s polls may be negatively affected. The gazetted Bill, which seeks to amend the Electoral Act [Chapter 2:13], proposes: i). the removal of the driver’s licence as proof of identity for electoral purposes; ii). to disqualify previously convicted persons from contesting in elections. iii). a timeframe within which a candidate may withdraw from contesting in National Assembly or local authority elections. ZESN also said the bill will affect women’s participation in politics as it contains a provision which would result in a decrease in the women’s quota when a political party fails to present a full list of candidates for the local authority women’s quota. ^[1]