Mnangagwa’s Election Proclamation Consequences: Youths the biggest loser #ElectionsZW
The decision by President Emmerson Mnangagwa to proclaim elections before the Electoral Amendment Bill is passed, will have a huge effect on the election of youths who will occuthe Youth Quota.
Through Constitution Amendment No.2, government introduced 10 seats for young people coming from the provinces.
This clause together with other related election clauses were supposed to be operationalised by the Electoral Amendment Bill.
The Bill is still before Parliament and Sections 157(5) says no law can be changed that affect elections once a Proclamation has been made.
This means the youth seat cannot be effectively allocated because there is no set mechanism and they are not provided for in the current Electoral Act.
According to, courts, legal and Parliamentary Watchdog, Veritable Zimbabwe, the youth seats together with that of women in local authorities cannot be elected.
“…even if Parliament were to proceed with the Bill and pass it – which is most unlikely – the election would have to be conducted as if the Bill had never been passed.
“This has several awkward consequences, as we shall explain below.1. Women and youths cannot be elected.Under section 124 of the Constitution, as amended in 2021: There must be an additional 10 youth members of the National Assembly, one from each province [section 124(1)]
“Of the 60 women members of the National Assembly elected on a party-list system, 10 must be youths and some must be persons living with disabilities [section 124(1)].
“Provincial and metropolitan councils must each have 10 members elected on a party-list system of proportional representation [section 268] All these people must be elected in accordance with the Electoral Law.
“The Electoral Act does not provide for the election of any of these people. The Electoral Amendment Bill would have done so but it cannot be used for the election and nor can any other law that may be enacted between now and polling day.
“So how can these people be constitutionally elected? The simple answer is that they can’t, but if they are not elected then the National Assembly and all provincial and metropolitan councils will not be properly constituted,” said Veritas.
Zimbabwe is set to go elections on the 23rd of August this year. The election will see President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s resolve tested once again by Nelson Chamisa of Citizens Coalition Change.
The 2023 general election is also the second term of President Emmerson Mnangagwa meaning that it is his last in terms of the Constitution. This is despite the fact that he is on record saying that in 2030 he will still be in power.
