Zimbabweans living in the diaspora are planning to hold a protest march to push the government to respect and honor their right to vote.
The protest, organized by president of the Zimbabwe Freedom Fighters party, Talent Rusere is expected to take place on 18 July 2021.
The diasporans are challenging Sections 23(3) and 71 of the Electoral Act [Chapter 2:31] which they allege “is interfering with our right to vote in an election as enshrined in section 23A(2) of the Constitution.”
“As Zimbabweans in the diaspora we are going to demonstrate and claim our right to vote that the government of Zimbabwe has been depriving us of for the past three decades.
“It’s through this very same section 23(3) of the Electoral Act that ZEC infringes our right to vote, in that it requires that a voter must be resident in a constituency in order to be registered to vote in that constituency. It further lays down that if the voter was absent from the constituency for a period of over twelve months he would no longer be entitled to have his or her name retained on the roll for that constituency,” said Rusere.
Meanwhile, ZANU PF Acting National Political Commissar Patrick Chinamasa last week Thursday demanded for the removal of sanctions which he said makes the playing field uneven, favoring of the opposition should diaspora vote be allowed.
Chinamasa said they, as ZANU PF, want to be allowed to go into the diaspora to campaign.
Responding to Chinamasa Rusere said, “we can not have a government that claims to own our military forces and everyone remains silent. Chinamasa said the ties between Zanu Pf and the Zimbabwean military forces is unbreakable . What does that mean to you Zimbabwe? What did Mnangagwa meant when he said Zanu Pf is everything,it’s the army,its the airforce, and it determines who does mining in Zimbabwe, considering all the abductions by state agents, demolition of our homes by the government, political persecutions, deaths by state ammunition, corruption by top government officials… what does that mean to you Zimbabwe”?
He said it is high time that the world understands the real crises in Zimbabwe and that democracy should not exist as a permanent form of government.
The bulk of Zanu PF leadership are not allowed to go into United States and United Kingdom due to restrictive measures imposed on Zimbabwe.
