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Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) chairperson, Justice Priscilla Makanyara Chigumba, has called for the mandatory registration of political parties to prevent a recurrence of issues experienced during the 2023 harmonised elections.
In the run-up to the polls, electoral courts were inundated with a high volume of cases where candidates challenged the rejection of their nomination papers.
Chigumba stated that the Electoral Act should be amended to make it compulsory for all political parties to be formally registered with the authorities.
Alternatively, Chigumba suggested that there should be a cap on the timeframe within which candidates can appeal their candidature before elections, even in the absence of a party registration requirement.
The ZEC chairperson made these comments during a joint induction workshop of the Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Committee and the Thematic Committee on Human Rights, which was held in Bulawayo over the weekend. She said (via <a href="https://www.herald.co.zw/parties-should-be-registered-justice-chigumba/">The Herald</a>):
<blockquote>
To solve the chaos around the nomination process, I made two recommendations: to register political parties or give time limits on electoral court challenges.
This means the electoral court will not accept any court challenges 30 days before election day.
The problem in Zimbabwe, as part of the electoral law, is that we have no legislation on the registration of political parties.
What we have are individuals notifying ZEC that they have established a political party and requesting to be added to the database.
</blockquote>
Chigumba argued that the lack of mandatory political party registration in Zimbabwe has led to a concerning lack of accountability.
She explained that when individuals make decisions on behalf of a political grouping, there is no clear entity that can be held responsible.
In contrast, Chigumba noted that in many other countries, political parties are required to register, similar to how companies are registered.
This, she said, makes these political entities more accountable, as they risk being deregistered if they fail to adhere to the necessary regulations and standards. Said Chugumba:
<blockquote>
There is no political will to register political parties. It is only at the Nomination Court where ZEC has an opportunity to legally engage political parties.
During the Nomination Court process, you find a lot of chaos around the nomination procedure because this is where candidates comply with laid-down procedures.
</blockquote>
More: <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/">Pindula News</a>

Pindula News

The chairperson of the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission wants all political parties to be forced to register with the government. This will stop problems like candidates challenging their rejection during elections. She also suggests having a deadline for court challenges before elections. In other countries, political parties have to register like companies, making them more responsible. Without registration, it's hard to hold parties accountable for their actions. The lack of registration causes chaos during elections in Zimbabwe. The chairperson believes that registering parties will help improve the election process.

Chigumba Calls For Compulsory Political Party Registration

Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) chairperson, Priscilla Chigumba, stated that the ruling ZANU PF party rejected the electoral management body’s recommendations to amend the Electoral Act for the purpose of conducting credible elections.
Chigumba made these remarks on Wednesday during a discussion with election observers in the capital, regarding ZEC’s readiness for the upcoming elections scheduled for next Wednesday. She said:
<blockquote>
ZEC submitted several recommendations requiring alignment of the Electoral Act with the 2013 Constitution through the ministry of Justice and Legal and Parliamentary Affairs.
When ZEC wants to make a recommendation to change a certain section of the Electoral Act, we write to the Justice ministry, and attach a copy of our recommendation and we requested that our recommendation be incorporated in the law. The Minister of Justice (Ziyambi Ziyambi) being a member of a certain political party will take our recommendation to his political party and sometimes our recommendations find their way into the law and sometimes they do not.
Some of our recommendations found their way into the Electoral Amendment Bill, but a lot of them have not and we continue to make recommendations.
</blockquote>
Zimbabwe has a history of contentious elections. President Emmerson Mnangagwa pledged to enhance the electoral process, but the opposition claims that the ZANU PF government manipulates ZEC.
Following the 2018 elections, observer missions urged the alignment of the Electoral Act with the Constitution, among other recommendations. Unfortunately, most of these recommendations were disregarded. The Electoral Act in Zimbabwe clashes with the country’s Constitution in several instances. These include the composition of ZEC, limitations on freedom of expression and media access, and inadequate provisions for voter registration transparency. To address these issues, recommendations have been made, such as aligning the ZEC’s composition with constitutional requirements to ensure independence and impartiality, amending legislation to guarantee freedom of expression and media access, and strengthening provisions for auditing and transparency in voter registration. These recommendations aim to create a more level playing field, uphold constitutional principles, and enhance the integrity and fairness of the electoral process.
Chigumba appealed to political parties, urging them to control their supporters and ensure a peaceful environment before and after the elections. She also expressed satisfaction with the peaceful conduct of the chiefs’ elections and suggested that Zimbabweans could learn from them, highlighting their positive example for maintaining peace during the electoral process.
<h3><a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/">More Pindula News</a></h3>

Chigumba: ZANU PF Dismissed Electoral Act Amendment Recommendations

High Court Judge Justice Tawanda Chitapi has ruled against presidential aspirant Saviour Kasukuwere’s urgent application to cancel Statutory Instrument 140A of 2023, which amended the Electoral Act regarding postal voting.
The High Court has determined that Kasukuwere’s challenge on Statutory Instrument (SI) 140A of 2023 is administrative and does not constitute a change in the law. The Statutory Instrument allowed the Chief Elections Officer to receive postal votes up to three days before the voting day instead of 14 days.
In his ruling, Justice Chitapi stated that he was not convinced of the application’s merit and dismissed it with costs. Justice Chitapi said:
<blockquote>
I am of the view that the law was not changed, and that any periods provided by the Act can be altered. My view is that the passage of SI 140A is administrative, exercised as and when necessary to do so. It cannot be held that the exercise of the power given is alteration of the law. SI 140A therefore amounts to a conduct of implementation of the law, not changing the law. My view is that the Electoral law remains extant: it is the same law which says implement me in this way, an exercise which makes sure that the implementation is done properly. I am not persuaded that this matter has merits to stand. The application is dismissed with no order as to the costs.
</blockquote>
Speaking after the ruling, Kasukuwere expressed said he respects the ruling delivered by Justice Chitapi. He said:
<blockquote>
If you disagree with a position, you go to court. Courts are not approached with a predetermined outcome. We respect the judgement handed down this afternoon by Hon Chitapi, J. The struggle will continue and one day the court of public opinion will decide. Asante Sana. 23 August 2023.
</blockquote>
<h3>Some Context:</h3>
The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) last week <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/2023/08/03/zec-alters-postal-ballot-dispatch-period-for-2023-elections/">altered the period</a> specified in the Electoral Act for the dispatch of postal ballot papers for the 2023 general elections. The Commission said due to the high number of court applications and appeals against the decision of the nomination court, the Commission has been unable to print and distribute ballot papers until the finalisation of the said matters. The alteration allows for a shorter period for the dispatch of covering envelopes for postal ballots, with the deadline now set at noon three days before polling day instead of noon on the fourteenth day before polling day. The regulations have been approved by the Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs. 
<h3><a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/">More Pindula News </a></h3>

Kasukuwere Loses Case Challenging ZEC's Amendment Of The Electoral Act On Postal Voting

Prominent Bulawayo lawyer Nqobani Sithole on Tuesday filed a High Court application challenging a law under which Zimbabweans who are absent from the country for a continuous 12 months can be stripped of their voting rights and prevented from contesting in elections.
He argues that the law is unconstitutional.
The law was recently used to bar Saviour Kasukuwere from running for president as an independent.
The self-exiled former cabinet minister has since challenged the ruling at the Supreme Court
Sithole is seeking to have section 23(3) of the Electoral Act declared invalid.
He is represented by Addington Chinake of Cantor and Immerman.
<a href="https://www.zimlive.com/law-barring-zimbabweans-from-voting-over-lengthy-absence-challenged/">ZimLive</a> reported that the application by Sithole was not filed as an urgent matter and is expected to be heard after the August 23 elections.
The law says “a voter who is registered on the voters roll for a constituency… shall not be entitled to have his or her name retained on such roll if, for a continuous period of twelve months, he or she has ceased to reside in that constituency…”
Sithole said his application had been filed “in the public interest.” He said:
<blockquote>
It is in the public interest that all laws are consistent with the constitution, more so when human rights are involved, and any law which is inconsistent with it is invalid to the extent of the inconsistency.
</blockquote>
The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC), the Minister of Justice and Parliamentary Affairs and the Attorney General are cited as respondents in the court application.
More: <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/">Pindula News</a>

Lawyer Challenges Law Barring Zimbabweans From Voting Over Lengthy Absence

The Executive Director of the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) Roselyn Hanzi has said the 2023 General Elections will be held with no legal reforms.
The Constitution of Zimbabwe stipulates that any electoral legislation passed after the President proclaims an election date will not apply to those elections.
On Wednesday, 31 May, President Emmerson Mnangagwa proclaimed the 23rd of August 2023 as the day for the country’s general elections.
According to Proclamation 4 of 2023 which is contained in Statutory Instrument 85 of 2023,  the nomination day, when candidates are registered to stand in the election, will be on 21 June.
02 October 2023 has been set as the date for a run-off for the election of the office of the President if such a poll becomes necessary.
Posting on Twitter after the proclamation of the election date, Hanzi said the 2023 elections are being held with no legal reforms. She wrote:
<blockquote>
In terms of sec 157 of the Constitution, after an election has been called, as has happened, no change to Electoral Law or any other law on elections will apply to that election. This means that the 2023 elections are being held with no legal reforms.
</blockquote>
Parliament is currently working on the Electoral Amendment Bill which seeks to operationalise the latest constitutional amendments for the election of 10 youth members to the National Assembly, one from each province, as well as the continued election of 60 women, six from each province, to the National Assembly under a quota system, among others.
Following the proclamation of the election date, work on the amendments has become an academic exercise when it comes to voting on 23 August. 
More: <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/">Pindula News</a>

2023 Elections To Be Held With No Legal Reforms - ZLHR Director

Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC)’s self-proclaimed Change Champion in Chief Nelson Chamisa says the country’s electoral laws have to be amended to create a level playing field for all political parties.
Chamisa said proclamation, nomination and polling dates have a huge bearing on planning by citizens, voters, businesses, investors and other stakeholders and should not be the President’s prerogative. <a href="https://twitter.com/nelsonchamisa/status/1649294342962442241?s=20">Said Chamisa</a>:
<blockquote>
WE MUST CHANGE THE LAW… Proclamation, Nomination and Polling dates have a bearing on planning by citizens, voters, business, investors and political parties’ internal processes.
In Zimbabwe, the current law gives the incumbent ED too much power and scope for abuse. In other countries, the precise dates are known by all ahead of time.
</blockquote>
For instance, the United States’ next presidential election will be held on the first Tuesday of November 2024.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa on Thursday said he will only proclaim the election date for the 2023 Harmonised Elections towards the end of May. Mnangagwa said:
<blockquote>
We will soon be having our elections this year. I am privileged to know the date; it is fast approaching.
Towards the end of next month, I will proclaim the date. For now, prepare for the polls.
</blockquote>
He said this on Thursday during the commissioning of Mhondoro Rural Hospital which was refurbished by platinum miner Zimplats.
According to Veritas, the President must publish his election proclamation between 44 and 84 days before polling day in the general election.
More: <a href="https://zero.pindula.co.zw/">Pindula News</a>

Electoral Act Gives Mnangagwa Too Much Power - Chamisa

The opposition Citizens’ Coalition for Change (CCC) has condemned the Electoral Amendment Bill that is currently before Parliament. A statement released by the party reads:
<blockquote>
<h2>ELECTORAL AMENDMENT BILL UNCONSTITUTIONAL, INADEQUATE &amp; ANTI-REFORM</h2>
Introduction
The proposed Electoral Amendment Bill that is currently before Parliament is unconstitutional, grossly inadequate and anti-reform.
It fails to align Zimbabwe’s Electoral Law to the Constitution, it does not take into account the recommendations of the 2018 Election Observer Missions on electoral reforms and it is not compliant with regional and international electoral treaties, guidelines and standards as will be shown in detail below.
A. No public consultation
The draft amendments have been put forward by ZANU PF to suit their ends with no public consultation whatsoever.
The Electoral Reform Bill is designed to create the impression that electoral reforms are being implemented when in fact, the proposed amendments take away more than they give and seek to exclude effective political participation in the forthcoming elections by the CCC.
Despite the constitutional obligation under s68 to consult the public when administrative action of this nature is undertaken, there is no record of public or stakeholder consultations in the lead-up to the draft amendments.
No meetings of political parties nor Civic Society Organizations were convened by either by ZEC or the Ministry of
Justice to consider recommendations from stakeholders. Written submissions were not solicited either.
An attempt has been made to belatedly stitch together electronic public hearings which are set to commence today.
We take issue with this methodology as it excludes the majority of the population which do not have access to the internet and may not be able to participate in the radio hearings due to technical challenges or load shedding.
The electronic hearings are also unconstitutional as they fail to facilitate comprehensive involvement and submissions from interested parties in legislative matters as required sections 68 and 141 of the Constitution.
B. Amendments designed to disqualify CCC candidates through targeted ‘criminal convictions’ 
This proposed amendment requires aspiring candidates to make solemn declarations that they have no conviction of at least 12 months prior to the election.
This amendment is calculated to ensure our members who are facing targeted prosecutions and are victims of clear weaponization of the law to silence the opposition do not stand as candidates.
This implied disqualification clause for Parliamentary candidates violates and is ultra vires the Constitution.
The Constitution sets out the only competent grounds for disqualification of Members of Parliament in sections 121, 125 and 129.
Crucially, there is no mention of disqualification due to prior conviction before tenure of office.
C. Driver’s licence as permissible proof of identity incompetent as it does not prove citizenship 
Section 67 of the Constitution expressly provides that only Zimbabwean citizens are eligible to participate in electoral processes.
By implication, drivers’ licenses do not constitute proof of identity for electoral purposes as it is common cause that they do not prove citizenship. A non-Zimbabwean can hold a valid Zimbabwean driver’s licence.
This clause is therefore irrelevant and does not contribute materially to the enhancement of the citizens right to register to vote or vote.
D. Implementation of Constitutional Amendments 1 and 2 premature, challenge still before the courts 
The proposed amendments on the 30% women local government quota and the youth quota were necessitated by Constitutional Amendments 1 and 2 which are currently being challenged before the courts by civic entity, Veritas citing procedural flaws.
Therefore, the proposed implementation of constitutional amendments that are currently sub judice is premature.
E. No legal framework for implementation of women and youth quotas
Further and in any event, the Electoral Amendment Bill does not create the required legal framework for the operationalization of the Constitution in respect of the women and youth quotas.
The constitutional amendment in Section 124 introduced new provisions which mandated parties to ensure that their lists are inclusive of young women below the ages of 35, women with disabilities and young women with disabilities.
There is no enforcement mechanism in the draft law to ensure implementation by political parties as would have been expected.
F. 30% Women’s quota for Local Government unconstitutional
The Electoral Amendment Bill provides for a 30% women’s quota in local authorities. This violates the 50% gender parity threshold set out in the Constitution. Sections 17, 56 and 80 of the Constitution expressly provide for 50/50 equality regarding gender representation at all levels of Government.
The Electoral Amendment Bill should therefore put in place mechanisms that advance the achievement of the 50/50 gender parity within the existing number of wards instead of creating additional 587 council seats over and above the current 1958.
The inclusion of women representatives should be incorporated into existing council seats to ensure compliance with 50/50 gender equality.
G. The mandate of women elected to the quota is not defined
The 30% women’s quota for local government is not accompanied with a clarification of the role of the women listed who would have no allocated wards and thus no clear jurisdiction or defined role in the local government architecture.
There is a risk that they will be rendered redundant and ineffective in communities while remaining costly to the fiscus.
Gender parity concerns should be addressed through substantive reform and not window dressing as we see here.
There is also the risk that the women will be elbowed out of the directly elected ward seats and confined to the reserved quota seats which undermines effective women participation in the local authority political space.
The increase in the number of council seats will inevitably create administrative and financial challenges for local authorities that already face operational challenges and budgetary constraints.
Conclusion
In conclusion, there can be no doubt that the proposed amendments are superficial in that they do not address the essential election systems and process principles enshrined in Chapter 7 of the Constitution.
Consequently, these proposals fail the litmus test of applying safeguards for a free, fair and credible election.
We call for sincere, comprehensive reforms that will move the needle and ensure that we create a conducive electoral environment for electoral players and fully facilitate the ability of citizens to exercise their political rights and participation in electoral processes.
</blockquote>

FULL TEXT: Electoral Amendment Bill Unconstitutional, Inadequate And Anti-reform - CCC

Parliament has invited two Bulawayo-based journalists, <a href="https://cite.org.zw/author/mandla/">Mandla Tshuma</a> and <a href="https://cite.org.zw/author/lulu-brenda-harris/">Lulu Brenda Harris</a> to a meeting following their petition seeking the amendment of the Electoral Act to include postal voting for journalists.
In Zimbabwe, postal voting is only accorded to people in the security services, at embassies abroad and other civil servants on electoral duty.
Tshuma of Magwegwe, and Harris of Queens Park in Bulawayo, filed their petition on 5 April, and Speaker of the National Assembly Jacob Mudenda announced it in Parliament on 20 July 2022.
The petition was addressed to Mudenda and the Members of Parliament.
Acting Clerk of Parliament Helen Dingani on 19 January 2023 said the Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Portfolio Committee was considering their petition on the need to amend section 73 of the Electoral Act Chapter 2:13 to include journalists among persons who qualify for postal voting. Wrote Dingani:
<blockquote>
To this end, the committee is kindly inviting you to a meeting on February 2 at 10 am in the National Assembly, Ground Floor at Parliament Building.
The purpose of the meeting is for you to further explain the issues raised in your petition.
</blockquote>
In their petition, the two reporters said journalists play a vital role in any society as was seen at the height of the COVID-19 lockdown.
They said this is evidenced by the fact that the government, on April 19, 2020, accorded the media an essential/critical service status after it published Statutory Instrument 93 of 2020. They wrote:
<blockquote>
… we pray that the Parliament of Zimbabwe exercises its constitutional mandate to amend section 73 of the Electoral Act to include journalists among persons who qualify for postal voting ahead of the 2023 harmonised polls.
</blockquote>
Tshuma confirmed on Monday that they will attend the meeting. | <a href="https://www.newsday.co.zw/local-news/article/200006522/parly-summons-journos-over-postal-voting-petition">NewsDay</a>

Parliament Invites Journalists To Explain Postal Voting Petition

Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Ziyambi Ziyambi said the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) does not remove voters from their polling stations without their consent.
Ziyambi said this while responding to questions on the voters’ roll in the National Assembly on Wednesday.
In February this year, Team Pachedu alleged that ZEC had illegally moved 170 000 voters from their original constituencies and wards in the voters’ roll that was used for the 26 March by-elections.
Ziyambi said ZEC had not received any formal complaint about removing voters from their registered polling stations without their approval. He said:
<blockquote>
ZEC advises that it is not aware of any formal report wherein it has been alleged that it has moved voters from their registered polling stations without their consent.
What the commission is aware of are the powers granted to it by section 35 of the Electoral Act (Chapter 2:13), which provides that a voters roll may be altered by the commission at any time to correct any error or omission, or to change the original name or address of the voter to an altered name or address; which is done by the voter registration officer at any time by correcting any obvious mistake or omission, or by changing on the written application of a voter, the original name or address of the voter to an altered name or address.
</blockquote>
Ziyambi added that the Electoral Act stipulates that a notice of alteration of a voter is published in the Government Gazette by the commission or voter registration officer. Said Ziyambi:
<blockquote>
The commission recommends that where there are known incidents of voters being moved from their polling stations without their consent, a formal report must be filed at ZEC provincial offices, or an appeal of any decision of an alteration must be made by the commission or voter registration officer to a designated magistrate within the affected voter’s province.
</blockquote>
On the diaspora vote, Ziyambi said that currently there is no law that regulates voting by citizens in the diaspora.
<h4>More: <a href="https://www.newsday.co.zw/2022/06/ziyambi-defends-zec-on-voters-roll/">NewsDay</a></h4>

Ziyambi Absolves ZEC From Voters' Roll Manipulation Allegations

The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) says it has no right to deny citizens their right to register as voters as long as they provide acceptable proof of residence.
This follows allegations of the existence of anomalies on the Kariba Municipality Ward 8 voters’ roll where 87 people registered as voters used stand number 1110 Chiwara as their place of residency. It is further claimed that the said stand is a non-residential stand.
In a press statement on Tuesday, 3 May, ZEC Chief Elections Officer Utoile Silaigwana said those who have concerns over the alleged anomalies on the voters’ roll should raise their objections as provided in the Electoral Act. Read the statement:
<blockquote>
The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission would like to put the record straight on allegations of anomalies on the Kariba Municipality Ward 8 voters’ roll.
Concerns have been raised that over 87 people registered as voters on stand number 1110 Chiwara, a non-residential stand.
The public should know that as long as prospective registrants produce acceptable proof of residence, the Commission has no right to deny them the chance to register as voters.
The Commission has no way of ascertaining the veracity of one’s claims at registration, especially as they relate to a residence and it is incumbent upon the applicant to proffer correct information as failure to do so constitutes an offence in terms of section 37(2) of the Electoral Act.
It is also pertinent to note that the Electoral Act permits voters registered in the same ward/constituency to object to the retention of any name on the voters’ roll setting out the reasons for their objection which could be that the person does not reside in their constituency.
The voter registration officers would then look into the issue and either uphold the objection or reject the objection after following due process.
The Commission encourages those voters in ward 8 of Kariba Municipality with such objections to approach the Commission as per the provisions of the law.
</blockquote>
<h4>More: <a href="https://news.pindula.co.zw/">Pindula News</a></h4>

ZEC Speaks Out On The Kariba Ward 8 Voters' Roll

The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) wants the Electoral Act to be amended so that it becomes a requirement for political parties to be registered to make them accountable when they misbehave.
Currently, political parties are not registered and only need to inform ZEC of their existence.
In an interview with ZBC News on the sidelines of a public lecture at the Zimbabwe National Defence University in Harare on Wednesday, ZEC Chairperson, Justice Priscilla Chigumba said:
<blockquote>
There is a need to amend our electoral laws because there are gaps. We appreciate that there is a draft bill that seeks to address these gaps, but it will be a good step if all of our recommendations were taken on board.
There is a need to register political parties because then they will be accountable if they misbehave.
</blockquote>
Chigumba said there won’t be gerrymandering during the constituency boundary delimitation exercise that will be conducted after the census but before the 2023 general elections. She said:
<blockquote>
This is our first delimitation after the 2013 Constitution. So this exercise is important because it will determine the constituencies and wards.
At times we are accused of gerrymandering because the public does not understand the process, but everything is going to be done within the boundaries of the law.
</blockquote>
Gerrymandering is the practice of drawing the boundaries of constituencies in a way that gives one political party an unfair advantage over its rivals or that dilutes the voting power of members of ethnic or linguistic minority groups.
<h4>More: <a href="https://www.zbcnews.co.zw/zec-pushes-for-the-amendment-of-electoral-laws/">ZBC News</a></h4>

ZEC Wants Political Parties To Be Registered

The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) is proposing several electoral reforms that will be incorporated into the amended Electoral Act.
This comes as the Portfolio Committee on Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs has presented a draft document on a raft of electoral reforms to ZEC.
ZEC Commissioner, Joyce Kazembe, told The Sunday Mail that they have started to implement some of the recommendations suggested by foreign and local observers after the 2018 elections. Said Kazembe:
<blockquote>
We always get these recommendations after elections. We had a meeting in Nyanga for those who had observed, foreign and local observers as well as Civil Society observers, and we took into account the recommendations that they made.
We have begun implementing the recommendations through the electoral reforms.
Currently, we are just looking at the submissions from the Parliamentary Committee on Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, since we have been engaging them.
They just sent a document with proposed reforms, some of them which we proposed even in 2013.
We have made an input, agreed with them on certain things, and on other things, we did not agree.
Quite a number of issues in the Electoral Act need changing, for example, media monitoring. What we are using currently are the 2008 media regulations, which are highly outdated.
We tried last time, it did not work. However, we are hoping this will be amended this time around.
</blockquote>
Kazembe said ZEC was working on accommodating visually impaired people and those with other physical challenges. She said:
<blockquote>
There is also an extension of a postal ballot to anyone who will not be able to vote on voting day, in particular, officials on duty; we get a lot of staff from State institutions.
We are also contemplating extending this to people with disabilities since we have been limiting ourselves to people with no physical challenges. So, we are trying to be as broad as possible.
… So we will give them a postal vote and we will have a register which says, this person is in hospital, indicating the polling station.
These postal votes will be arranged according to the constituency, polling area and ward. 
All these details will be in an envelope including the number of ballots that we have, that is the President, constituency and wards.
These will be sent to the person wherever they will be. There will be indications of how the ballots will be brought here and counted, long before everyone else has voted.
So that by the time everyone votes, these envelopes should be at the wards the person has indicated, so that the vote is not lost.
</blockquote>
Zimbabwe is scheduled to hold harmonised elections in 2023 when citizens elect the President, Members of Parliament and Councillors to serve five-year terms.
<h4>More: <a href="https://www.sundaymail.co.zw/zim-steps-up-electoral-reforms">The Sunday Mail</a></h4>

Zimbabwe Electoral Commission Proposes Electoral Reforms

<a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/Midlands_Province" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Midlands</a> Senator Lillian Timveos (<a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/MDC_Alliance" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">MDC Alliance</a>) was on Thursday further remanded to March 16 by a Zvishavane magistrate in a case where she is accused of threatening to destroy <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/Zimbabwe_Electoral_Commission" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC)’s</a> offices.
Timveos appeared before Magistrate Evra Matura facing two counts of violating the Electoral Act.
According to State prosecutor Fiona Mukwena, Timveos reportedly had a confrontation with ZEC officials at their Zvishavane office on July 15, 2018.
Timevous allegedly obstructed ZEC Zvishavane district elections officer Regressa Dube from distributing ballot papers to voters who had applied for postal voting on the day.
She is also accused of disrupting operations at ZEC’s Zvishavane offices, even threatening to use violence to destroy the premises.
If convicted, she faces five years in prison or a $30 000
Timveos denies the charges.
<h4>More: <a href="https://www.newsday.co.zw/2020/02/mdc-senator-further-remanded-for-threatening-to-burn-zec-offices/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">NewsDay</a></h4>

Timveos Further Remanded Violating Electoral Act

MDC vice national chairperson Tendai has walked out of the Harare Magistrates Court after magistrate Gloria Takundwa ignored prosecution pleas to jail him for up to a year. Biti will pay a $200 fine for announcing false election results, the magistrate has ruled.
Biti was convicted of contravening sections of the Electoral Act after he prematurely announced the 2018 Presidential Election results. He was facing two charges, one of announcing the results and one of declaring Nelson Chamisa as President.
Biti was represented by human rights lawyers, Beatrice Mtetwa and Alec Muchadehama. Muchadehama argued that Biti was not the only one who prematurely declared the results, Munyaradzi Paul Mangwana did the same.
He had pleaded not guilty to both counts that he was facing but was convicted none the less.
Harare magistrate Gloria Takundwa said that the address at the press conference constitutes the official announcement and it had an element to undermine ZEC.
She argued that Biti “presented his announcement as authentic and his actions had the potential to undermine the official announcement by ZEC. The intention of the Act is to prevent such behaviour exhibited by the accused which undermines the authority of ZEC.”
Prosecutor Murombedzi submitted that Biti should face a serious maximum prison term to send a signal to citizens who choose politics and think of running elections.
Section 66A of the Electoral Act which deals with unofficial announcement of results says “any person who purports to announce the result of an election as the true or official results;  or purports to declare any candidate to have been duly elected before an electoral officer, acting in accordance with this Act, has announced the result of that election or declared a candidate to have been duly elected in that election, as the case may be, shall be guilty of an offence and liable to a fine not exceeding level five or to imprisonment for a period not exceeding six months or to both such fine and such imprisonment.”
<h4>Related:</h4>
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<h4><a href="https://news.pindula.co.zw/2018/12/11/prosecutor-labels-magistrate-stupid-for-allowing-live-streaming-of-biti-trial/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Prosecutor Labels Magistrate Either ‘Brave’ Or ‘Stupid’ For Allowing Live Streaming Of Biti Trial</a></h4>
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Tendai Biti To Pay $200 For Contravening Electoral Act

Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi told The Chronicle that the Electoral Amendment Bill will be fast-tracked when Parliament resumes sitting on May 8 after a three-week recess.
He said when they resume sitting on May 8, they will suspend Parliament’s sitting rules so that the Bill is passed on time. Said Ziyambi:
<blockquote>I wish to state that Parliament will stand dissolved on the eve of the election. The electoral amendments that we are doing, for as long as we do them before proclamation, can be used for this particular election. So I still believe that we can still dispose of these issues in Parliament the week beginning the 8th and have the Act gazetted and sent to the President for assent. All that can be done. And this thing that we do not want to have the so-called amendments I don’t think it’s a correct assessment.</blockquote>
More: <a href="http://www.chronicle.co.zw/parly-to-fast-track-electoral-law/">Chronicle</a>
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Parliament To Fast Track Electoral Act Amendments

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