ZIMBABWE ELECTION: FAIRNESS UNDER THREAT
As Zimbabwe nears another important election, the idea of a fair and democratic process is in danger. FAZ, a little-known group, is causing concern with their exit poll surveys outside voting stations. These surveys might be used to change the true will of the people and rig the elections for the ZANU PF party. With ZANU PF losing its relevance and connection to the people, is this a desperate move to stay in power?
First, let’s understand what exit poll surveys are. They are used to predict election results right after people vote. When done right, they can be very accurate. But, like any tool, they can be misused. The key is in the method, the sample size, and the fairness of the group doing the survey.
The complaints against FAZ are many:
Sampling Bias: People worry that FAZ is choosing who to survey. A fair exit poll would randomly pick voters from different backgrounds. But witnesses say FAZ is targeting certain groups, which could make the results favor ZANU PF.
Leading Questions: Some voters say FAZ is asking questions that push them to answer in a certain way, which can change the results.
Data Manipulation: For an exit poll to be trusted, the raw data and method should be open for checking. But FAZ has not been clear about their process, making people suspect they might be changing the data.
Association with ZANU PF: An exit poll group should be neutral, but there are rumors that FAZ is connected to ZANU PF. If true, this would seriously hurt the trust in their exit poll results.
But why would ZANU PF, a party with a long history, use these tactics? The party’s place in modern Zimbabwean politics is being questioned. Many think the party has lost touch with the people, causing a broken social contract. Instead of addressing real issues like unemployment, economic problems, and alleged corruption, the party seems focused on keeping power.
The danger of these biased exit polls is the story they tell. In a heated political climate, early exit poll results can change public opinion and create a bandwagon or underdog effect. If FAZ’s surveys keep wrongly predicting a ZANU PF win, it could discourage opposition voters or make undecided voters join the ‘winning’ side.Also, if the real election results are very different from the exit polls, it could give the losing party a reason to claim the election was unfair, leading to unrest and instability. Democracy depends not just on voting but on the belief that the system is fair. If that trust is broken, the future of Zimbabwe’s democracy is at risk.
Citizens, political analysts, and international observers need to be alert. To have a true democracy, it’s important to call out any attempts to change the system, especially when they come as legitimate tools like exit polls.Zimbabwe is at a crucial point. For the country to move forward, its election process must be clear, fair, and free from manipulation. Every Zimbabwean must protect the importance of their vote and make sure the will of the people wins over political tricks.
