Zimbabwe: 1996 Presidential Elections

Extracted from: "Zimbabwe" IN Compendium of Elections in Southern Africa (2002), edited by Tom Lodge, Denis Kadima and David Pottie, EISA, 445.

On 16-17 March 1996 presidential elections were held in which the overall turnout was only 31.7% of the eligible electorate. This figure varied very considerably, however, from 60% in the rural areas to 20% in the urban areas. Mugabe won a third term of office when he acquired 92.7% of the vote (see 1996 Presidential results for details).

The election was also reluctantly contested by Abel Muzorewa of the United Parties who acquired 4.7% of the votes and Ndabaningi Sithole of ZANU-Ndonga who was out on bail and acquired 2.4% of the vote after being denied permission to withdraw. Shortly before the elections Sithole has sought to withdraw on the basis of a claim that his party had been infiltrated by the Central Intelligence Organisation with a view to discrediting him. He had been arrested in October 1995 on charges of attempting to assassinate Mugabe but the trial had been postponed until after the elections. Muzorewa initiated his attempt at withdrawal following a refusal by the courts to delay the elections while a challenge to the current electoral laws was pending. Both opposition candidates argued that until the Political Parties Finance Act, the Electoral Act, and the Broadcast Act were revised, they would be unable to compete fairly.

Earlier Margaret Dongo was refused certification as a candidate in the presidential elections on the basis that she was too young to meet the constitutional requirements. She then urged that dissatisfied Zimbabwean abstain from voting, though the low percentage poll is likely additionally to have been due to the discrediting of opposition.

In the presidential election campaign itself, Mugabe attacked the incompetence of his long-unsuccessful opponents and stressed his commitment to land redistribution, national unity and regionally specific issues. His opponents castigated the government's economic and general performance. Bishop Abel Muzorewa urged a reduction of the maximum tax rate from 40 to 25 per cent, a restraint of state expenditure and a reversion to the 1980 constitution with its bicameral provisions.

The Electoral Supervisory Commission, whose commissioners are state-appointed, nevertheless exhibited neutrality and professionalism in their duties and collaborated with civil society bodies in the training and placement of non-partisan monitors throughout the country. There is a sentiment though that the body is under-resourced both financially and in terms of staff.

The elections were generally adjudged, notwithstanding the strong qualifications indicated, to have been generally free and fair.