Chigumba Ofumura Mabirwo Anoitwa Sarudzo NeZanu PFPolitical Reporter-The head of the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC), Justice Priscilla Chigumba, has dropped a bombshell by admitting that Zimbabwe’s elections are consistently rigged.
Speaking at an election workshop in Nyanga, Chigumba pointed to longstanding electoral disputes and suggested that they could be avoided if political parties and stakeholders proactively agreed on legal reforms before election cycles begin.The differences we have as stakeholders on the electoral process in Zimbabwe are perpetuated by our failure to correctly diagnose the problems in order to prescribe effective solutions,” she stated, calling for urgent dialogue to fix the country’s flawed system.
Chigumba’s remarks, made during the 2023 post-election review conference, highlight how deep-seated challenges in Zimbabwe’s electoral framework are a direct result of the lack of preemptive reforms.
Despite ZEC’s role, she implied that without consensus on laws governing elections, the status quo of manipulation would persist.
“Electoral change can only be referred to as reform if its primary goal is to improve electoral processes, fostering enhanced impartiality, inclusiveness, transparency, integrity, or accuracy,” said Chigumba.
However, she warned that what is seen as reform by some could be viewed as deliberate manipulation by others, underscoring the complexity of the issue.
The shocking acknowledgment by Zimbabwe’s top electoral authority reignites the debate on how ZEC itself has played a role in sustaining rigged elections and whether true reform can ever be achieved under its current structure.
Chigumba’s remarks suggest a willingness to change—but the question remains whether that change will happen or if Zimbabwe’s elections will continue down the same contested path.
