In an interview, political commentator and academic Alexander Rusero noted that elections in Zimbabwe never delivered people’s expression since 1980.“You talk of Zanla’s intimidation of the rural electorate in 1980 that anything outside a Zanu PF victory meant a return to war, the annihilation of Zapu between 1980 and 1987, the violent decimation of Zum in 1990, and the sham election of 1995,” he said. “From 2000 onwards, following the end of Zanu PF’s de facto status of a one-party state, elections have been further reduced into a site of struggle, an extension of war.“Zimbabweans have since retired from deriving any hope from the plebiscite because they know under the current realities of a securitised election and a militarised state, elections are merely a formality, it’s a choice-less democracy or rather voting without choosing,” Rusero added.
Source: Disillusionment grips most Zim voters ahead of 2023 – The Zimbabwe Independent
