As Zimbabwe moves into a new era following its dramatic change in leadership, all eyes will be
on the 2018 elections as a referendum on the people’s will and a test of progress toward
freedom and fairness in its democratic practices. A central player will be the Zimbabwe
Electoral Commission (ZEC), which is charged with preparing, conducting, and supervising all
national and local elections.
While managing three parliamentary and two presidential elections since taking over from the
Electoral Supervisory Commission and Registrar General in 2004, the ZEC, whose members are
appointed by the president, has frequently been accused of bias and incompetence.
Given that public trust in the national electoral commission is “instrumental to the overall
credibility of elections and to democratic legitimacy more broadly”, how do Zimbabweans perceive the ZEC? Afrobarometer survey data collected in early 2017 suggest that popular trust in the ZEC remains feeble despite some improvement. Findings point to better-educated citizens, opposition supporters, and other sub-groups where building trust will require concerted efforts.
