From Voting to Torture

Examining the Psychosocial Effects of the 2008 Political Election Processes in Zimbabwe.

Abstract

This paper is an assessment of the psycho-social effects of the harmonised elections of 2008 in Zimbabwe. After the highly contentious election results in which the main opposition party, the MDC3 defeated the then ruling ZANU-PF party, calculated violence broke out4. The general elections were held on the 29th of March 2008, but it took the ZEC5 two months to release the election results. In the first round of the elections, Morgan Tsvangirai of the MDC was said to have won 47.9% of the vote and Robert Mugabe 43.2%, necessitating a run-off which was to be held on the 27th of June 2008. It is during this period after the announcement of the first round of results and the preparations for the second round of voting that extreme violence ensued, perpetrated mainly against the opposition MDC party supporters by the ZANU PF organs. This forced Tsvangirai to withdraw his candidature from the run-off. The ‘political bases’ created by ZANU PF members especially in the rural areas, but also in the high-density urban areas, opposition supporters were subjected to extreme torture, killings and sexual abuse. This led to the discreditation of the second round of results by the AU and the SADC, prompting the formation of an inclusive government. Despite the fact that there was the creation of an Organ of National Healing, Reconciliation and Integration after the formation of the Government of National Unity (GNU), the paper argues that it did not do enough to ‘heal’ the victims of the post-election violence. Many people are still suffering from the psychosocial effects of the 2008 election violence; therefore, the paper makes some recommendations that would assist the victims and ensure a more effective national healing process.