ESN-SA and ZESN ARRIVAL STATEMENT IN MALAWI 2025

ESN-SA and ZESN ARRIVAL STATEMENT IN MALAWI 2025

On behalf of the Electoral Support Network for Southern Africa (ESN-SA) and the Zimbabwe Election Support Network (ZESN), we extend our sincere gratitude to the people of Malawi and the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) for the warm welcome to our team. As ESN-SA and ZESN, we are honoured to be part of this important democratic process and are truly experiencing the warmth and spirit that Malawi is known for.

On 14 September 2025, the Learning Mission team arrived in Malawi following an invitation from the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) to observe the 16 September General Elections. The Learning Mission comprises 13 accredited short-term observers from domestic observer groups in Angola, Mozambique, South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. The team will be primarily deployed in Lilongwe and its surrounding areas, remaining in the country until September 19, 2025.

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Preliminary Statement of the ESN-SA and ZESN Joint Learning Election Observation Mission Malawi 2025 General Elections

Preliminary Statement of the ESN-SA and ZESN Joint Learning Election Observation Mission Malawi 2025 General Elections

INTRODUCTION

In line with the Election Support Network of Southern Africa’s mission to contribute to higher levels of electoral integrity in Africa and the Zimbabwe Election Support Network’s (ZESN) mission to promote democratic, free, and fair electoral processes through objectively and impartially observing elections, the two organisations deployed a Joint Learning Mission to observe the Malawi General Elections held on 16 September 2025. The Learning Mission comprised 13 accredited short-term observers from citizen observer groups in Angola, Mozambique, South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. The elections encompassed the Presidential race, the election of 229 members of the National Assembly, and the election of 509 Local Government Councillors.

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Glen View South National Assembly By-election Report

At the invitation of the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC), the Zimbabwe Election Support Network (ZESN) observed the Glenview South by-election that was held on 12 April 2025. The by-election in which the Zimbabwe African National Union – Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF) party won, was held after a vacancy arose following the death of Honourable Gladmore Hakata who served as the Constituency Member of Parliament under the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) during the 2023 Harmonised Elections.

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NAMIBIA’S 2024 PRESIDENTIAL AND NATIONAL ASSEMBLY ELECTIONS OBSERVATION

The Electoral Support Network of Southern Africa (ESN-SA) and the Zimbabwe
Election Support Network (ZESN) jointly deployed a small delegation comprising
experienced observation practitioners to Namibia’s 2024 Presidential and National
Assembly elections. The Mission conducted extensive research and met with a wide
range of electoral stakeholders, including other international observation missions,
members of the legal fraternity, media experts, and Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) representatives.

The primary objective of the Joint Observer Mission was to evaluate whether the
Namibian electoral process adhered to national laws and to determine if the
country’s electoral framework aligns with regional and international principles,
norms, standards, and best practices. This initiative underscores the two
organisation’s dedication to advancing democratic integrity and transparent
electoral processes throughout the Southern African Development Community
(SADC) region.

The Joint Mission observed the opening of polling stations in the Khomas region.
These were characterised by long, winding queues well before opening. Each voting
station had an average of 7 voting officials, with a notable predominance of young
female presiding officers and youthful polling officials. Procedures, including
verifying voters’ names on the roll, checking for ink on fingers, and stamping ballot
papers with the Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN), were consistently followed,
with a notable exception in some polling stations where polling officials responded
differently to instances where tablets used to verify voters overheated.

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ESN-SA ZESN JOINT PRELIMINARY STATEMENT ON NAMIBIA’s PRESIDENTIAL AND NATIONAL ASSEMBLY ELECTIONS

INTRODUCTION
The Electoral Support Network of Southern Africa (ESN-SA) and the Zimbabwe Election Support Network (ZESN) jointly deployed a small delegation comprising experienced observation practitioners to Namibia’s 2024 Presidential and National Assembly elections. The members of the Mission were drawn from Botswana, Eswatini, South Africa and Zimbabwe. The primary objective of the Joint Observer Mission was to evaluate whether the Namibian electoral process adhered to national laws and to determine if the country’s electoral framework aligns with regional and international principles, norms, standards, and best practices. This initiative underscores the two organisation’s dedication to advancing democratic integrity and transparent electoral processes throughout the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region.

METHODOLOGY
The accreditation process for the Joint Mission by the Electoral Commission of Namibia (ECN) was seamless. On Election Day, the joint Mission deployed its team members to Khomas, Otjozondjupa, and Hardap regions. The Mission conducted extensive research and met with a wide range of electoral stakeholders, including other international observation missions, members of the legal fraternity, media experts, and Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) representatives. In its assessment of the elections, the joint Mission used various global, regional normative and legal instruments for democratic elections, such as the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance (ACDEG), the SADC Principles and Guidelines Governing Democratic Elections, the Principles for Election Management, Monitoring, and Observation (PEMMO) together with the Namibia’s legal framework. The Joint Mission closely observed voting on 27 November 2024.

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ZESN-ESN-SA Botswana Election Report

ZESN-ESN-SA Botswana Election Report

In response to an invitation from the Government of the Republic of Botswana, the
ZESN and ESN-SA deployed an Election Observation and Learning Mission (EOM) to
observe the Botswana General Elections held on 30 October 2024. The team observed
voting in urban, peri-urban and rural areas around Gaborone. Prior to the Election Day
observation, the team met with various electoral stakeholders.

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SIGNIFICANCE OF EFFICIENT VOTER REGISTRATION IN MODERN DEMOCRACIES: REFLECTING ON ZIMBABWE’S PROPOSED ELECTORAL REFORMS

Voter registration is crucial, yet intricate aspect of any electoral process. Though
costly, time-consuming and a complex electoral process, it serves as a foundational
cornerstone of democratic systems, defining who can participate in selecting political
leaders. The effectiveness and credibility of any election hinges on proper voter
registration, which adds value to the electoral process. Conversely, inadequate and
flawed voter registration has repercussions, detrimental to electoral outcomes. Faulty
voter registration automatically translates to a faulty election and equally
questionable outcomes.

Voter registration can be continuous, periodic, or civil, each form with its distinct merits and demerits. In Zimbabwe, voter registration is continuous to ensure the voters rolls remain up-to-date. Prospective registrants physically appear at the ZimbabweElectoral Commission (ZEC) local District Office to register, and a voters’ roll is compiled. However, this process has faced significant contestations and criticism for allegedly undermining electoral processes and outcomes. Concerns about impact on electoral integrity, inclusivity, accuracy, transparency, and security have been raised.

Currently, the Constitution of Zimbabwe designates the ZEC as the primary body responsible for voter registration, along with other electoral duties like the delimitation of electoral boundaries. In March 2024, a proposal to (i) shift voter registration responsibilities from ZEC to Civil Registration Department (CRD), (ii)automatically register new registrants upon attaining 18, and (iii) automatically remove deceased from voters’ roll at the issuance of a death certificate emerged, with a repeat of the same call in November 2024. In view of this proposal, critics maintain that a clean, accurate,e and complete voters roll—resulting from a comprehensive registration process conducted by an independent body directly involved in elections is crucial for the health of Zimbabwe’s democracy.

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Revised Position Paper on POLITICAL PARTY REGULATION IN ZIMBABWE

The centrality of political parties to democracy in Zimbabwe is unanimously acknowledged. However,
there is often a contradiction where political parties that have glaring capacity deicits expect that
everything around them has to change to meet their demands while they continue to operate the same
way. That is, parties expect to be funded by the state, demand constitutional and electoral reforms yet
remain silent on the pragmatics of how they too need to comply with the formal rules and regulations of
the game. Political parties ought to be regulated through a mechanism that establishes the minimum
requirements in terms of how they organize themselves and conduct their business. Regulation should
embody how political parties are registered, deregistered and how they access inances, manage and
account for their inances whether provided under the law, donations or otherwise.

In Zimbabwe, political parties inancing has been the sole regulated aspect, with other aspects such as
registration and deregistration remaining unregulated, raising accountability and internal democracy
challenges. The absence of a legislation regulating political parties in Zimbabwe has been identiied as the
major problem contributing to lack of sanity in some of their operations. Consequently, the country is
faced with challenges of election related disputes and conlict, volatile party systems and lack of political
party accountability. Absence of legislation regulating political parties has also led to a wide range of
other electoral challenges, impacting the integrity and effectiveness of democratic processes particularly
in the 2023 elections. Additionally, this situation contributed to the administrative challenges faced by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) and other electoral stakeholders who engage with political
parties. Following the CCC 2023 recalls and the subsequent by-elections to ill the vacant seats, the
Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs highlighted this burden, suggesting that political
parties ought to be register. In his view, ‘structureless parties were engaging in endless squabbles and
recalls of parliamentarians, wasting state money that could be better utilized for other purposes’¹.

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Zimbabwe Harmonized General Elections 23 August 2023: Compendium of Election Observers Recommendations

The video you are about to watch serves as a comprehensive overview of the critical issues highlighted in our Compendium of Election Observers Recommendations. It provides an engaging platform for our advocacy efforts, combining expert analysis with visual storytelling. The video not only sheds light on observations made but also offers tangible solutions for reform. We hope it will inspire constructive dialogue among policymakers, Chapter 12 Commissions, civil society organizations, electoral stakeholders and the electorate.