Recent Publications

A Consolidated Report on Pre and Post Organised Violence and Torture during the 2023 Harmonised Elections in Zimbabwe.

This report examines more carefully the OVT that took place during the formal 90 days of the election, from 1 June to 22 August 2023. This is the period during which the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) should have formal and untrammelled control of the hustings, manage and minimise all OVT in all forms, and engage the state in ways to ensure a peaceful poll.

SADC Citizens Views on Elections (2019 to 2021)

This report uses various tools to ascertain citizens views on elections in the SADC region, it explores various key factors factors in assessing the democratic status of countries such as human rights, the rule of law and the strength of institutions. The report highlights that SADC citizens are happy mostly that elections in their countries are free and fair, but some are less happy – Angola, Malawi, and Zimbabwe. They are mostly happy that there is little evidence of manipulation – clientelism, intimidation, or political violence.

Tolerance in SADC: A Research Note

This study explores two topics that are frequently excluded from diplomatic agendas: homosexuality and migration. These are two of the problematic issues that Africa must face in meeting the demands of Agenda 2063. This study examines SADC citizen’s views on tolerance including ethnicity and religion in addition to migration and homosexuality.

Policy Dialogue Series: Policy Brief No. 3 2023 Debt Restructuring, ZIDERA and the 2023 Elections: A Preview

This policy briefing implores the latest efforts by key stakeholders to foster international re-engagement with Zimbabwe, spearheaded by the African Development Bank (ADB) in the creation of a debt relief strategy. It concludes that the Arrears Clearance and Debt Relief Process is laudable in its intent and will remain a work in very preliminary process until the dust settles after the election, it also highlighted that the process of clearing arrears and resolving debt is not merely a question of the quantitative amounts, but also the quality of the debt: essentially, all the hard questions about how a debt was acquired, who was involved, and how the debt was managed.

Will the youth vote in 2023, for who, and why?

This report uses data from the Afrobarometer, to examine whether the youth will vote; how the youth might vote; and how they might react to yet another disputed election. The data suggests the effects of political violence, sustained economic deprivation, and a lack of political trust -in the state, the government, political parties, and government officials – have resulted in a youth cohort that displays little agency.

How Will Women (and Young Women) Fare in the 2023 Elections in Zimbabwe?

This report makes a prediction on how women and young women will fare in the forthcoming 2023 elections based on evidence from past elections and the current conditions as the nation approaches the plebiscite. The report highlights that increasing women’s representation, and facilitating young women’s agency, requires the overcoming of the structural (electoral), economic, social, and cultural barriers that now exist in overwhelming abundance. More so, it stresses that First-Post-The-Post (FPTP) electoral system and the gender quota have been thriving at the expense of directly elected women.

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