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The leaders of the Zimbabwe Heads of Christian Denominations (ZHOCD), comprising the Evangelical Fellowship of Zimbabwe (EFZ), Zimbabwe Catholic Bishops Conference (ZCBC), Zimbabwe Council of Churches (ZCC), and Union for Development of Apostolic and Zionist Churches in Zimbabwe (UDACIZA) have added their voice on the upcoming by-elections set for the 26th of March 2022.
The seats subject to the by-elections became vacant following the recall of some parliamentarians and local authority representatives whilst some were due to natural causes.
ZHOCD is directly informed by its recent communication, The Elections We Want: Choosing Leadership as a Theological Imperative, which gives the broad guidelines for the 2023 harmonized elections.
The church leaders said that they are aware that the Nomination process for the by elections was fulfilled on the 26th of January 2022 in line with the dictates of the electoral laws in Zimbabwe. The processes, according to them, went on well and campaigning by candidates has already started.
ZHOCD said elections are a necessary constitutional process so as to ensure that the power of the electorate in choosing their parliamentary or local authority representatives remains with them and is encouraged to see the citizens across the political divide making preparations to participate in this critical process.
However, it prayerfully hopes that the process, like any other electoral process, will be guided by key fundamentals that include the following:
- Secrecy of the ballot must be guaranteed for all citizens,
- The principle of non-discrimination must be observed as voters must be allowed to cast their ballot without regard to their race, sex, political allegiance, religion, national origin, language, or any other basis,
- The promotion of peace by all stakeholders is of paramount importance (citizens, candidates, and political parties, Government and Chapter 12 Commissions, Church, etc). This should be the utmost priority for all,
- Professional and non-partisan conduct of our security forces as they discharge their constitutional duties within the by-elections context,
- The 2013 Constitution and the Electoral Act remain the key guiding documents for electoral processes,
- Absence of a single soul that is lost before, during, and after the by-elections due to political violence,
- Inclusive and sustained electoral dialogue that provides accompaniment to the by-elections so that emerging and existing issues are addressed in a peaceful manner,
- The Election Management Body and other relevant institutions provide timely, accurate, and complete information to the electorate to enable them to make informed decisions throughout the election period.
The church leaders envisage that the by-elections will be a reflection of the nation God has envisioned for Zimbabwe, one that is united in its diversity.
“We hope that this process and its outcomes will positively inform the broader election processes that are to happen in the 2023 harmonized elections. As the Church, we will continue to engage in dialogue processes that will ensure that emerging issues towards the process of by-elections are comprehensively addressed. The election process in Acts 1 was punctuated by prayer before, during, and after the process. This was in recognition that whilst an election is a human activity, it is God who ‘knows people’s hearts and can therefore direct the voters,” ZHOCD added.