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Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal – Vol. 10, No. 12

Publication Date: December 25, 2023

DOI:10.14738/assrj.1012.15980

Kawila, E. L., Matole, A., Mulubale, S., Simui, F., & Muleya, G. (2023). Democratic Measures for Curbing Electoral Violence in

Kanyama Constituency of Lusaka District, Zambia. Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal, 10(12). 448-458.

Services for Science and Education – United Kingdom

Democratic Measures for Curbing Electoral Violence in Kanyama

Constituency of Lusaka District, Zambia

Eliazer Lushinga Kawila

Institute of Distance Education, University of Zambia, Lusaka

Adrian Matole

Institute of Distance Education, University of Zambia, Lusaka

Sanny Mulubale

Institute of Distance Education, University of Zambia, Lusaka

Francis Simui

ORCID:0000-0002-7199-2970

Institute of Distance Education, University of Zambia, Lusaka

Gistered Muleya

Institute of Distance Education, University of Zambia, Lusaka

ABSTRACT

In Kanyama Constituency of Lusaka District Zambia, physical violence especially

during the election cycles of 2011, 2016 and 2021 may appear to have escalated. If

violence and tyranny are allowed to take root in any democratic state, it may

deprive the people of the capacity to resist bad governance because of the pervasive

atmosphere of terror, fear and insecurity. Based on the foregoing context, this

article explored Democratic measures that can be used to curb electoral violence in

Kanyama Constituency of Lusaka District, Zambia. The article employed qualitative

approach with a case study design. Twenty-eight (28) participants were recruited

for this research and they provided Primary data. The main findings of this research

were that good political culture in the electoral process, enhancing civic and voter

education, fair application of the law, formation and enhancing of youth

empowerment programmes, responsive leadership both at party and national

levels are the key democratic measures that can be used to curb electoral violence.

Equally, having independent government institutions that are mandated to conduct

elections is key as their operations may not be ill influenced by external forces. The

article recommends that Political parties and constituencies should treat election

period as an opportunity to elect credible leaders through democratic means than

a possibility to intimidate those with divergent views.

Keywords: Curbing Electoral violence, Constituency, Democratic measures, Electoral

violence

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Kawila, E. L., Matole, A., Mulubale, S., Simui, F., & Muleya, G. (2023). Democratic Measures for Curbing Electoral Violence in Kanyama Constituency

of Lusaka District, Zambia. Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal, 10(12). 448-458.

URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.14738/assrj.1012.15980

INTRODUCTION AND CONTEXT

Literature shows that the electoral process in Kanyama constituency has been characterized

with electoral violence perpetrated by holders of divergent views against each other (Ndulo

and Emeziem, 2022; Kawila, Mulubale and Muleya, 2023). In Africa at large, a study about

Kenya, Nigeria and Zimbabwe to give a comparison on electoral violence was conducted by

Mojeed (2020). It was found that electoral violence is neither a recent phenomenon in Africa

nor an exclusive strategy of a specific fraction of the power elite. It was argued that electoral

violence is promoted by such factors as politicization of land access, ethnic marginalization,

patrimonialism, State-backed violence, and youth unemployment. These factors combine to

make the Sub-Saharan Africa a ‘risk environment’ for electoral democracy. The study concluded

that reforms capable of protecting the ballot against the bullet should be sought.

Evidence also shows that during electoral process, those perceived to be opponents are

attacked, assaulted or have had their meetings disrupted while law enforcement agencies have

tended to appear to be incapable of controlling the vice (Kawila, et al, 2023). This is well

supported by Breiding, et al. (2015: 2) who stated that “violence can be physical in nature which

is defined as the intentional use of physical force with the potential of causing death, disability,

injury, or harm”.

Given the presence of electoral violence witnessed in the political landscape in Zambia and

elsewhere, several studies have been conducted to find means of curbing the violence. For

instance, a study by Sialombe (2019) on the role of political parties in the promotion and

prevention of electoral conflict and violence in Zambia brought out key issues pertaining to

ending electoral violence. The study revealed that the ECZ and ZP should execute their mandate

independently and impartially. It was also suggested that the political parties should come up

with a written party code of conduct and cultivate the culture of electoral education in their

supporters.

In view of political parties to develop culture of electoral education for their supporters, Cyllah,

(2014) holds that electoral education is an essential component to mitigate electoral violence

hence, the political parties should play their role in taking up electoral education as a shared

responsibility. They should organise large-scale electoral education campaigns and educate

their citizens to cancel the call for any violence from their leaders. This measure reflects well

with Sialombe (2019) who found that electoral violence erupts due to voters’

misunderstanding of the electoral process thus, political parties to take concrete steps to set

electoral education at the grassroots level. Major area of education should focus on social

cohesion, the values of an election, refusal to ethnic and religious discrimination and to use legal

dispute mechanisms in case of apprehensions.

Ikyase and Egberi (2015) examined political violence and democratic stability in Nigeria. The

study was carried out against the backdrop that, periodic elections are fundamental to the

principles of democracy. In view of this, political violence was viewed as a major road-block to

democratic stability in Nigeria. It was stated that democratic project has been under perpetual

threat since 1999 when the country returned to democratic governance. Thus, it was

recommended that politicians should not use ethnicity and religion to galvanize support and

polarize the populace through politics of religious deception and ethnic chauvinism which have

stirred up sentiments and sparked communal violence perennially in Nigeria. It was further

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Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal (ASSRJ) Vol. 10, Issue 12, December-2023

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guided that the Federal and State governments should publicly condemn discrimination on the

basis of ‘indigene’ or ‘non-indigene’ status and accord all Nigerians full citizenship status and

make them eligible to enjoy all political and ultimately dissuade inclinations for political

violence.

Literature also suggests that one way of ending political and electoral violence is through

economic development. Centre for Democracy and Development (2010) observed that Political

instability is something that happens in political systems that are not developed. Such political

systems and their societies show certain characteristics that are conducive to political

instability, including dysfunctional political structures, political organizations and procedures

that are not institutionalized, structural simplicity, economic backwardness, and individuals

with a high propensity to invest in power. As these characteristics diminish, that is to say, as

these societies become more “developed,” more “Westernized,” more “modern” and older,

political instability would end. This is echoed by Maingaila (2021) who recommended that if

political parties were to enjoy democratic space, they should work on increasing their financial

base.

Studies have also shown that in order to end electoral violence, citizens should be accorded an

evenly political space. For instance, Kaumba (2015) established that promotion and protection

of political rights in Zambia was lacking due to misapplication of the Public Order Act. The

existence of Police that serves the interest of the government over the public had also

negatively impacted the levels of public participation in national governance. The Police made

it hard for the realization of rights to freely assemble, protest and demonstrate as modes of

citizens’ engagement in affairs that govern them. The study concluded that there was need to

create an environment that could allow for more participation in national affairs. It was

observed that Zambia has the potential to uphold democratic tenets, coupled with a number of

instruments put in place to enhance participation

A study done by Towah (2019) in Ghana on Good governance and development collaborates

well with Kaumba (2015). It was revealed that corruption and violence affected sustainable

development policies and initiatives related to poverty reduction, agricultural practices,

environmental protection, and human development in Ghana. Thus, it was suggested that

citizens should be proactive in governance matters and that the State should be responding to

citizen’s needs through democratic processes, independent judiciary, social inclusion, fair

governance and rule of law will create an arena for accountability to the people.

It can be argued that Ghana’s good governance practices for sustainable development that were

identified, integrated some Western practices while maintaining and sustaining its own cultural

norms and priorities. This may be a durable recipe for other African nations to use to effect

positive social change for citizens, private institutions, and therefore, good governance, which

is genuine for sustainable development. In reference to electoral violence, it can be argued that

good governance can be used to curb electoral violence because in a country with good

governance, each and every citizen is given an opportunity to add their voices to the electoral

process. However, in the case of Zambia, governance has been made to be elusive a situation

that has been attracting confrontations from different political players especially the youths

who are in most cases used as tools of violence.

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Kawila, E. L., Matole, A., Mulubale, S., Simui, F., & Muleya, G. (2023). Democratic Measures for Curbing Electoral Violence in Kanyama Constituency

of Lusaka District, Zambia. Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal, 10(12). 448-458.

URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.14738/assrj.1012.15980

In response to electoral violence during the 2016 general elections, on 21st October 2016, the

President of Zambia, Mr Edgar Chagwa Lungu appointed a Commission of Inquiry into voting

patterns and Electoral violence in Zambia. He obtained authority from Chapter 41 of the

Inquiries Act which states that "The President may issue a Commission appointing one or more

Commissioners to inquire into any matter in which an inquiry would, in the opinion of the

President, be for the public welfare" (Republic of Zambia, 1967, Inquiries Act 2(1). The

President gave the Commission a hundred and twenty days (120) mandate. The President

mandated the Commission among others to inquire into the cause of the voting patterns that

emerged from 2006 to 2016. The Commission was also tasked to establish the causes of

electoral violence as this could have helped to find measures of curbing electoral violence.

Amazingly, up to date, the results from the Commission remains unknown and this shows that

democratic measures for curbing electoral violence have never been systematically and openly

explored in kanyama constituency hence this article.

PROBLEM STATEMENT

There is a view that tolerating divergent views is one of the successful approaches that can be

used to secure public participation in a political landscape (Matole, Simui and Muleya, 2023).

However, Kanyama Constituency of Lusaka District has experienced physical violence during

the election cycles of 2011, 2016 and 2021 due to failure by political players to tolerate

divergent views, low socio-economic status, hunger for power, political immaturity, selectivity

in the application of the law, low education background and high population density (Kawila,

Muleya and Mulubale, 2023). Thus, it can be assumed that if violence and tyranny are allowed

to take root in kanyama constituency, it may deprive the people of the capacity to resist bad

governance because of the pervasive atmosphere of terror, fear and insecurity (Covenant of the

Civil and Politics Rights, 2021). Despite the escalated violence in the constituency which has a

potential to endanger both human life and democratic system, democratic measures to curb it

remain a poorly studied area in Kanyama constituency hence this research.

THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK

This article was anchored on Greed – Grievance Theory propounded by Collier and Anke

(2001). The theory argues conflicts are motivated by those who desire to better their situation

than others. In the case of this article, the benefits derived from organizing violence or

motivations of greed must pay well for the organizers. Collier and Anke (2001) holds that

politicians employ the hungry, unemployed and vulnerable youths paying meagre hand-outs to

unleash violence/terror and mayhem on the poor and the opponents during elections. This is

also apparent in the manner in which incumbent politicians embark on extending their terms

beyond the stipulated periods a situation likely to cause political instability (Collier and Anke,

2001, Centre for Democracy and Development (2010). Putting these alternatives into context,

there is a clear indication that these means employed by politicians to assume power are

undemocratic hence ending this violence is imperative as democracy encourages choosing

credible leaders through democratic means.

METHODOLOGY

Research Approach

This study employed qualitative approach with a Case study design. This approach allowed the

researcher to explore causes of electoral violence in a detailed manner (Yin, 2018). The

approach and design offered an opportunity to the researcher to interact with the participants

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from various organizations and there were able to share their views on democratic measures

that can be used to curb electoral violence.

Study Population

The population comprised of Political parties with structures across Zambia, Faith Based

Organizations (FBO), Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ), Governance Elections Advocacy

Research Services (GEARS), Transparency International Zambia (TIZ), Human Rights

Commission (HRC), Ministry of Justice (MOJ), and Zambia Police (ZP) based in Kanyama.

Sample Size

The sample for this article was twenty-eight (28) participants. This sample depended on data

saturation were there was no more new information coming from the participants concerning

the research themes (Patricia and Lawrence, 2015).

Sampling Technique

Homogenous purposive sampling was used to select participants from political parties. This

signifies that the researcher focused on participants with similar characteristics or those with

interest in electoral violence. Expert purposive sampling was also used to select officials from

ECZ, ZP, MOJ, HRC, TIZ, GEARS and Faith Based Organizations. This type of purposive sampling

focuses on participants with a technical know-how on a particular issue. In light of this article,

the aforementioned officials were expected to provide valuable insights on democratic

measures that can be used to curb electoral violence in Kanyama Constituency.

Instruments for Data Generation

The article employed semi-structured interviews on all categories of participants. This tool for

data production was beneficial because it is more flexible (Barret, 2018) as it allows the

principal investigator to ask follow up questions and seeking clarifications on specific

information. In the context of this article, this flexibility helped to yield extra rich information

on democratic measures for curbing electoral violence. Before engaging participants in this

academic exercise, permission was sought from them.

Data Analysis

Thematic analysis was used to analysis the generated data. The data analysis began with a

transcription of all the 28 interviews. This was followed by data cleaning to ensure only

necessary information remains. This process required reading through the transcribed texts

several times. Thereafter, themes were identified by highlighting key issues in the interview

transcripts.

FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION

Democratic Measures for Curbing Electoral Violence

The Researcher had an opportunity to engage stakeholders from various institutions as a way

of soliciting their views, perspectives and thoughts on democratic measures that can be used to

curb electoral violence in Kanyama Constituency. The analysis of data established that key

measures are centered on good political culture in the electoral process, enhancing civic and

voter education, fair application of the law, formation and enhancing of youth empowerment

programmes, responsive leadership both at party and national levels and having independent

government institutions.