ZDVI intensifies pressure on Mnangagwa to fulfil d...

ZDVI intensifies pressure on Mnangagwa to fulfil diaspora voting pledge

Zimbabwe Government considers diaspora vote - FurtherAfrica

Zim Now Reporter

The Zimbabwe Diaspora Vote Initiative has embarked on a mission to engage various stakeholders in a bid to push for the implementation of the diaspora vote promise made by President Emmerson Mnangagwa in 2018.

In a statement, ZDVI chairperson Rosewitter Mangiroza said, "We will be adding legislators to the group before 31 March 2025 so that they can hear our views and initiate the process to amend legislation to include Diaspora voting."

Mangiroza highlighted that according to the 2025 National Budget, diaspora remittances are projected to reach approximately US$2.51 billion in 2025, significantly contributing to the national economy.

She said a recent survey showed that every constituency in Zimbabwe has citizens living abroad and that every legislator should take an interest in extending the right to vote to their constituents living abroad, especially when government services are inadequate.

The initiative plans to meet President Mnangagwa to emphasize the importance of implementing his 2018 promise to extend voting rights to Zimbabweans living abroad, not just those working at Zimbabwean embassies.

Since the promise was made, President Mnangagwa’s government has made no practical steps to implement it, and diasporans remained disenfranchised in the 2023 general elections.

Engaging legislators is crucial in changing legal frameworks in Zimbabwe, as they are the ones who can bring up the discussion where it matters to get the relevant minister to sponsor a bill.

This group said it will also be approaching regional and international legislative bodies such as the SADC Parliamentarians Forum, the Pan African Parliament, and the International Parliamentarians Union.

These bodies will be urged to encourage Zimbabwean legislators to take proactive steps to reform legislation to accommodate diaspora voting.

Other groups to be approached include the church, labor, commerce and industry bodies, and civic society organizations.

Additionally, musicians will be enlisted to popularize the need for diaspora voting through music.

In his 2025 Cabinet Year opening address, President Mnangagwa reiterated that all Zimbabweans, including those in the diaspora, should be well catered for, and this includes the opportunity to exercise their democratic right to vote.

Interested parties can contact Padmore Kufa, Spokesperson for the Zimbabwe Diaspora Vote Initiative, at +61 414 477 659 or via email at zimdiasporavoteaussienz@gmail.com