Africa-Press – Zimbabwe. A THINK-TANK and advocacy group on electoral and democratic issues in Zimbabwe, the Election Resource Centre (ERC) has projected low voter turnout in by-elections to be held later this month and in the first week of August.
The local authority by-elections are scheduled for July 26 and August 2, respectively, in Chikomba Rural District Council (RDC) ward 10, Chiredzi RDC ward four and Marondera RDC ward six.
The elections in Chikomba and Chiredzi will be held on July 26, while those in Epworth will be held on August 2.
In a report titled: Quarterly Electoral Environment Update Second Quarter, 2025, ERC said the second quarter of the political year was marked by continued repression and authoritarianism.
“Voter turnout remains low for by-elections, averaging 42,1% for the National Assembly by-elections, while there was an increase in the local authority by-elections, averaging 48,7%, testament to the higher turnout noted in rural communities as compared to urban.
“Zimbabwe’s political and electoral landscape continued its slide into authoritarianism in Q2 2025, marked by repression, legal targeting of critics and a deepening crisis in governance,” the ERC report read.
The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission’s printed ballot paper summary confirms that Chiredzi RDC ward 4 has 4 552 voters, Chikomba ward 10 has 2 357 voters, Marondera ward 6 has 3 022 voters and Epworth Municipality ward 6 has 14 264 voters.
Meanwhile, the report noted that Zanu PF intensified its political consolidation through launching a nationwide cell verification campaign to fortify its grassroots structures and ensure accurate membership data.
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