LEFT IN THE PERIPHERY: AN ANALYSIS OF VOTING RIGHTS FOR PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES IN ZIMBABWE

Abstract

In Zimbabwe, the right to vote is a constitutionally guaranteed right which can only be exercised by citizens who meet prescribed minimum requirements. Notwithstanding, the modalities meant to ensure that persons with disabilities participate in decision-making processes, usually through elections, are arguably inadequate. In the Zimbabwean context (and indeed in most African countries) the right to vote is underlined by a history of blatant racial exclusion and discrimination where the right was exclusively enjoyed by the white minority. Despite this regressive phenomenon; the 2013 constitutional dispensation makes a progressive clarion call for the inclusion of every citizen in the right to vote or to stand for public office, a move which underscores how a democratic society should function. Being a part of the international community, the country is also a signatory to international conventions such as the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights; all of which deeply entrench the right to universal and equal suffrage. Consequently, this article examines the right to vote of persons with disabilities from a human rights perspective converse to an arguably untenable welfare model. Therefore, the overarching intent of the article is to succinctly analyse laws and where relevant, policies which seek to promote the participation of persons with disabilities in elections; identify practical barriers and enablers that can engender the participation of persons with disabilities; assess approaches and interventions that have been employed in Zimbabwe to increase the participation of persons with disabilities in elections and interrogate the possible impact of the said interventions.