Urge to vote
I loved every single one of them – the beautiful series of TV ads from South Africa’s Independent Electoral Commission. Each one was crafted to gently nudge citizens to register for and vote in the recently held municipal elections. “Love your South Africa” was the poignant payoff line that summarised the advertisements’ intent. I must admit, I felt quite moved to take-part in their elections myself.
Can you imagine if our own Zimbabwe Electoral Commission undertook a similar TV ad-campaign for voter mobilisation? That would be something! I know its wishful thinking. There’s no money to conduct elections this year, let alone to design slick adverts. And with nothing independent in the name or operations of the ZEC, having a non-partisan campaign is doubtful.
Nonetheless, one can dream.
They could start by showing black and white footage of people in long, winding queues. Then the voice over would say “Lest we ever forget” as the ad would continue to show Zimbabweans patiently waiting to exercise their right to access cash, bread and anything that wasn’t readily available at the time.
“The fight for our democratic rights was hard,” the voice over would add before a melancholy tune begins playing. Images would be run of women being beaten, battered and bruised political activists, maimed villagers and the lifeless bodies of once-promising youths. I am certain we wouldn’t have to search far for such material. There was more than enough violence perpetrated in the period 2006-2011.
Then the music would pick up pace and become a happy melody. The voiceover would announce, “But that fight is over. The people of Zimbabwe won.” This would be accompanied by pictures showing the wealth gained from the struggle; fallow farms and derelict factories. To emphasise the point, a snippet of an interview with a young man would be shown where he would enthuse how wonderful the fruits of our democracy are. “Currently I’m unemployed … because of illegal sanctions,” he quickly adds. “But my tomorrow looks bright, thanks to the sacrifices of those who have gone before me.”
The pictures of some of the country’s most prominent independence-struggle icons would be displayed, concluding with that of the President in all his boisterous self. Cue the voice over: “We fought hard to be where we are today. Let’s ensure that this is the only future we’ll ever have.”
The background music would reach its crescendo, the screen would cut to a shot of the ZEC logo and the voice over would conclude: “Make your mark and vote in the 2011 General Elections. Your life depends on it!”