Speaking
during
a
live
discussion
on This
Morning
on
Asakhe,
an
X-Spaces
programme
hosted
by
the
Centre
for
Innovation
and
Technology
(CITE),
Heather
Koga
of
the
Zimbabwe
Election
Support
Network
(ZESN)
said
electoral
reforms
must
be
informed
by
the
lived
experiences
of
all
stakeholders.
“When
we
refer
to
political
reforms
at
ZESN,
we’re
talking
about
efforts
to
create
an
environment
that
allows
for
credible,
free,
and
fair
elections,”
Koga
said.
“Different
stakeholders,
women,
youth,
persons
with
disabilities,
experience
elections
differently,
so
their
priorities
for
reform
vary.”
Koga
said
ZESN
advocates
for
a
holistic
approach
to
reform,
engaging
Parliament
through
the
Portfolio
Committee
on
Justice
and
Legal
Affairs
to
ensure
inclusivity
in
future
electoral
processes.
ZESN
recently
convened
a
half-day
engagement
with
the
Parliamentary
committee
and
the
Women’s
Coalition
of
Zimbabwe,
bringing
together
civil
society,
youth,
and
disability
advocacy
groups
to
deliberate
on
barriers
to
participation.
“We
wanted
all
these
voices
at
the
table,”
said
Koga.
“Historically
marginalised
groups
must
be
part
of
shaping
an
electoral
system
that
reflects
their
realities.”
Takunda
Tsunga,
Programmes
Manager
at
the
Electoral
Resource
Centre
(ERC),
echoed
the
call
for
reforms
that
prioritise
the
voter
experience.
“When
we
speak
of
reforms,
we’re
referring
to
improving
the
electoral
experience
for
everyone,
from
voters
to
political
parties,”
Tsunga
said.
“That
could
mean
minor
procedural
adjustments
or
major
overhauls
of
the
system.”
He
stressed
that
reform
demands
must
be
grounded
in
findings
from
election
observer
missions.
“It’s
crucial
that
we
are
guided
by
observer
reports.
These
offer
realistic
insights
into
what
must
change,”
he
added.
One
of
the
ERC’s
key
reform
proposals
is
the
formal
registration
of
political
parties
to
address
ongoing
issues
such
as
double
candidature,
disputes
at
nomination
courts,
and
the
controversial
recall
of
elected
officials.
Observers
say
these
recurring
problems
have
eroded
public
trust
in
Zimbabwe’s
electoral
system.
Busta
Golide,
another
contributor
to
the
discussion,
said
the
growing
demand
for
reform
is
a
clear
admission
that
previous
elections
have
failed
to
meet
democratic
standards.
“We’ve
had
four
decades
of
elections,
and
every
time,
observer
reports
recommend
reforms,”
he
said.
“Yet
little
has
changed.
We
are
now
in
2025,
and
with
the
next
election
set
for
2028,
time
is
running
out.”
Golide
questioned
the
government’s
willingness
to
implement
meaningful
reforms,
saying
there
appears
to
be
little
political
appetite
for
change
unless
it
benefits
the
ruling
party.
Another
contributor,
Thamsanqa,
argued
that
while
legal
reforms
are
necessary,
Zimbabwe’s
challenges
are
rooted
more
in
the
conduct
of
political
actors
than
the
laws
themselves.
“In
Zimbabwe,
the
biggest
issue
is
not
the
laws,
it’s
the
toxic
political
culture,”
he
said.
“People
change
political
parties
for
convenience,
and
that
erodes
public
trust.
What
we
need
is
a
political
system
that
fosters
unity,
not
division.”