Tinotenda Hove – The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) is once again facing serious questions over its credibility and impartiality, with growing accusations that the body has effectively become an extension of the ruling ZANU PF party.

Concerns have intensified following remarks made during a training session led by the Provincial Elections Officer for Mashonaland East Province. The session, held for Presiding and Recording Officers ahead of the Ward 6 Marondera Rural District Council (RDC) by-election scheduled for Saturday, 26 July 2025, has raised eyebrows among observers and opposition figures.

Although the training was intended to prepare officers for the smooth conduct of the by-election, critics argue that ZEC’s operations are increasingly viewed as partisan — favouring the ruling party while undermining electoral fairness and transparency.

“ZEC is no longer an independent body,” one opposition source told this publication. “It has become a ZANU PF tool, shielding the ruling party from accountability and manipulating processes to its benefit.”

Allegations of bias have trailed ZEC for years, but the situation appears to be deteriorating ahead of upcoming by-elections and growing talk of a constitutional amendment to extend President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s term beyond 2028.

Observers argue that ZEC’s lack of transparency, failure to ensure equal access to voter rolls, biased voter education, and its silence on ZANU PF campaign violations have eroded public trust.

“The institution is in crisis,” said one political analyst. “How can you trust an electoral commission that turns a blind eye to intimidation, treats opposition parties with contempt, and yet operates hand-in-glove with ruling party structures?”

The training in Mashonaland East, while officially procedural, has further fueled speculation that ZEC staff are being coached to serve political ends rather than constitutional duties.

Civil society groups are now calling for immediate electoral reforms and the demilitarization of ZEC, citing concerns that the upcoming by-elections and the 2028 general elections will not be free or fair unless urgent steps are taken.

As the Ward 6 by-election approaches, all eyes are on ZEC — not only to conduct a credible vote, but to prove that it still functions as an independent institution in line with Zimbabwe’s Constitution. For many, however, that confidence has already been lost.