Paul Nyathi

Zimbabwe is still involved in high level squabbles on whether to go on with by elections originally set for the 5th of December because Health and Child Care Minister Constantino Chiwenga banned the elections due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

While Zimbabwe is still undecided, neighboring South African IEC says it has put measures in place to ensure the country’s by elections set for November “don’t turn into superspreader events.”

Voting was set down for March but had to be rescheduled for 11 November due to the coronavirus pandemic.

“Like most entities, we had to adjust we have to adjust activities to give voice to the people without turning election into superspreader event,” said Masego Shiburi, IEC deputy manager.

“There will be a slight varied voting process and we will enforce social distancing and provide PPE for our staff.”

The IEC says these by-elections will serve as a dress rehearsal for the 2021 local government polls.

It comes amid intense debate on whether the local government and general elections should be combined in 2024.

Chiwenga, who is also the Health Minister, early this month amended the 2020 Public Health Regulations and suspended all by-elections the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) had scheduled for 5 December citing the Covid-19 pandemic.

Last month, ZEC chairperson, Justice Priscilla Chigumba announced by-elections were to be conducted in December.

However, Chiwenga as the Health Minister announced that all by-elections had been suspended.

Meanwhile, parliament last week roped in to reverse Chiwenga’s ban which had been confirmed by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) saying that the election body had no legal basis to call off the by-elections based on the statutory instrument by Chiwenga that has not undergone parliamentary scrutiny.

In Parliament on Thursday, Speaker of Parliament Jacob Mudenda said statutory instruments can only be acted upon after the Parliamentary Legal Committee has issued a non-adverse report – which was yet to happen.