A new study by Afrobarometer has shown that many people in Zimbabwe do not trust the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC). Only 47 out of every 100 people believe ZEC can run fair and honest elections.

This mistrust comes from what happened in the 2018 elections. In that election, President Emmerson Mnangagwa from ZANU PF won with 50.8% of the vote. His opponent, Nelson Chamisa from the MDC Alliance, got 44.3%. But it took three full days for ZEC to announce the results. Many Zimbabweans thought this delay was suspicious and unfair.

Now, Zimbabwe is preparing for another big election between Mnangagwa and Chamisa. This election will happen sometime between 26 July and 26 August. But people are already worried again.

One major concern is that ZEC has not shared the full voters’ roll. That is the official list of everyone allowed to vote. ZEC says it cannot share the roll because of the Data Protection Act. They say they must protect people’s private information.

ZEC chairperson, Priscilla Chigumba, told Parliament that the law stops them from giving out the full list. This happened after opposition MP Allan “Rusty” Markham took ZEC to court, asking for the voters’ roll. But the High Court dismissed his case.

ZEC recently said there are now six million registered voters, up from five million in 2018. ZANU PF says it wants five million votes. That would leave just one million votes for all the opposition parties to fight for.

ZANU PF also said that three million people voted in its primary elections. The party says this shows its strong support.

The Afrobarometer study found something interesting: most people in Zimbabwe say they will vote based on party promises and plans. Also, many people trust local candidates more than outsiders. This shows voters care about real issues.

Another good sign is that most Zimbabweans want peace after elections. In the survey, 81% said the loser of the election should accept defeat and work with the winner. This shows that many people want unity, not violence.

Zimbabwe has had many problems after elections in the past. In 2018, after Mugabe was removed from power, there was violence in the streets. Soldiers shot and killed protesters. Chamisa said the election was rigged and went to court. The court ruled against him, and to this day, he still does not accept Mnangagwa as president.

Now, President Mnangagwa is warning against letting election observers from “hostile” countries come to Zimbabwe. He says they do not respect Zimbabwe’s democracy. This has made some people worry about transparency in the election.

Even with all these problems, many Zimbabweans still believe in democracy. According to the study, 59% think elections are a good way to remove bad leaders. Also, 53% believe their Members of Parliament speak for them. Most important, 73% said Zimbabwe must have many political parties, so voters have a real choice.

Even though trust in ZEC is low, the people of Zimbabwe still believe in voting. They want fair elections and leaders who will listen to them. They want peace, unity, and progress. This hope for a better future is what keeps Zimbabwe strong, even in difficult times.

Zimbabweans are ready for change. But they need leaders and election bodies they can trust. Until then, the fight for real democracy continues.