Zimbabweans brace for controversial September presidential elections amid rigging concerns

Zimbabwe-Elections that were meant to be held in August in Zimbabwe have been controversially moved to September, with rumours circulating inside the country that this is being used as a delay tactic so that the ruling ZANU-PF party can rig the upcoming elections and emerge as winners, writes Naome Chisala.

The leading candidates contesting the elections are current President Emmerson Mnangagwa of the ruling ZANU-PF party and his primary challenger, Nelson Chamisa of the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) party.

Apart from the political and economic challenges facing the country, Zimbabweans are now facing another challenge - obtaining IDs in order to register to vote in the upcoming elections.

*Kudzai, an aspiring voter, witnessed firsthand how difficult it is to obtain an ID in Zimbabwe and register to vote. Since February of this year, Kudzai has struggled to acquire an ID in order to register to vote.

At the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission's (ZEC) Makombe Building in Harare, a voter registration centre where IDs are also processed, Kudzai saw the rampant corruption that is taking place.

"People are struggling to obtain IDs in Zimbabwe because they are only issuing 150 IDs per day," he tells me.

"Before going to get your ID, you are told to join a queue that is controlled by ZANU-PF youths. Those same ZANU-PF youths are selling numbers for up to $10 in order for potential voters to join the queue or to get inside the building." "If you ask them why you are buying the number, they tell you that they slept in the queue so they can only sell their numbers."

To make matters worse, Kudzai tells me that he and the people who were present in the building were being closely monitored by the same ZANU-PF youths in order to intimidate them.

"Inside the building, when you are waiting to get your ID, they analyze your face to see if they recognize you before giving you a number," he says.

"If they don't recognize you, they send you home to repeat the same process the following day."

Kudzai says he witnessed ballot boxes leaving the building without knowing their origin or purpose, as voting had not yet begun.

He also claims that some individuals are being deceived into participating in voter fraud.

According to Kudzai, ZANU-PF is bringing people from rural areas to Harare in order to manipulate the election by providing them with letters claiming they are from rural chiefs.

"Most of the individuals given numbers to obtain IDs are youths from farming and rural communities who do not speak English and do not appear to be of legal voting age," he says.

"When questioned about the ID obtaining process, they are unsure because ZANU-PF youths coach them on what to say, instructing them to claim they are from rural areas and do not understand when questioned. After obtaining IDs, these youths are taken directly to the (ZEC) to register to vote."

Kudzai expresses shock at the corruption and fraud he witnessed and predicts that there may be rigging in favor of ZANU-PF in the upcoming elections.

"Obtaining an ID is a significant challenge, and corruption is rampant in Zimbabwe," he says.

"Essentially, what ZANU-PF is conveying is that if you do not belong to the party, you are not a Zimbabwean but a foreigner. ZANU-PF has politicized the basic right to become a citizen in Zimbabwe. Rigging is likely to occur on a large scale this year, and I now understand why they keep changing the election dates."

As expected, Kudzai was unable to obtain an ID at the Makombe Building. Despite his disappointment, he remains resolute in his determination to register to vote and states that he will continue trying to obtain an ID in the coming weeks, seeing it as the only means to exercise his right to vote.

When asked what he would do if ZANU-PF were to win the elections, Kudzai replies, "If ZANU-PF emerges victorious, I will leave the country."

He believes that Zimbabwe needs a change of government in order to recover and move forward.

*Names have been changed to protect the identity and safety of the interviewee.