Zimbabwe remains a fragile democracy that requires more robust civic participation and support from regional governments and the United States in its efforts to gain stability, civil society leaders and U.S. government officials said Tuesday ahead of the country’s July 31 elections.
The panelists at the National Endowment for Democracy discussed the prospect that elections expedited by longtime President Robert Mugabe and Zimbabwe’s courts would be legitimate. Mugabe’s initial loss in 2008 to current Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai sparked widespread violence by security forces and eventually resulted in a unity government between Mugabe and Tsvangirai to institute reforms.
A new constitution was passed by referendum, but reforms crucial to the election process, such as updated voter rolls and reorganization of the security forces, have been delayed, the panelists said.
Scandals have also marred the campaigns of Tsvangirai and Mugabe for this month’s elections.
Glanis Changachirere, founder of Zimbabwe’s Institute for Young Women Development, said civil society groups in Zimbabwe must assume an active role in holding the government accountable well beyond the elections.
"Democracy is a process; it’s not an event. It just doesn’t happen through having an election," she said. "It’s a series of events that lead citizens to seeing an environment that’s conducive to their social, political and economic rights."
Changachirere works with young women from rural areas to increase their involvement in politics and activism. As many as 2 million eligible young voters are not on the rolls, and efforts by the "securocrats" to suppress voter registration, especially among youth and women, persist, she said.
Additionally, more civic participation will unite communities and bring together disparate factions of Zimbabwe, which gained independence from Britain in 1980, she said.
"You can’t even go and ask salt from your neighbor," she said.
The panelists said Zimbabweans are also looking to the United States and neighbors like South Africa for support of their internal efforts.
Foster Dongozi, secretary general of the Zimbabwe Union of Journalists, said the international community is often tempted to label nations mature democracies after only a few elections.
"More often than not you pack your bags and discover—like what happened in Egypt—you may have to quickly go back and make some quick intervention mechanisms," he said.
Activists have also called on the United States and Europe to lift sanctions imposed on Mugabe’s government and invest in the country. Inflation of 500 billion percent and 80 percent unemployment exacerbated the country’s instability following the 2008 elections, but it has since experienced modest economic growth.
However, more aid and the loosening of sanctions will depend on the outcome of the elections and the government’s commitment to continue democratic reforms.
"The coming elections are the next pivot point by which we assess the ability to do so," said Shannon Smith, deputy assistant secretary of state for Southern Africa.
Sen. Jeff Flake (R., Ariz.), a former Mormon missionary to Zimbabwe, agreed with the policy of conditional sanctions but raised concerns about Chinese investments in the country.
"Given the choice Africa would rather do business with the U.S.," he said. "We need to step it up because we see the Chinese government is."