the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC), an appendage of the Ministry of Home Affairs, to run elections, roll out voter education programmes and virtually do everything associated with the elections. What does all this mean to the Zimbabwean situation? All the situations I have mentioned above, and many others I have not alluded to, compound what I have called the Zimbabwean crisis. It is a crisis of governance. A crisis emanating from the shrinking and pollution of the democratic space. It is a crisis of legitimacy where government ceases to be credible in the eyes of the people because of the flawed nature of the electoral process that ushers it in. It becomes a human rights crisis to the general polity when government uses statutory instruments like POSA to bash, arbitrarily incarcerate and vilify political opponents. It is a crisis in terms of a lack of the means, among the general population, to exercise the freedom to freely express themselves when newspapers are closed, journalists arrested and intimidated through trumped up charges under a draconian media law. It is a crisis in the sense of people needing police permission to associate in groups of more than five. In all this what then are the achievements of ZESN and other Civic bodies? The most recent success scored by civic organisations, chaired by ZESN, was the successful lobbying for an audience with the South African government mediating team in the Zimbabwe crisis. The civil society has managed to push for the need for electoral reforms, repealing of POSA and AIPPA, restoration of the rule of law, an end to wanton beating of opposition political parties and civil society leaders, among other concerns, to be put on the agenda for talks. ZESN called for an Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) which resulted in the coming into being of the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) through an Act of parliament although ZESN is still lobbying for major reforms to ZEC. ZESN has made recommendations for electoral reforms, a copy of which it circulated to every Member of Parliament and Senate. ZESN has also successfully lobbied for the removal of presidential powers to modify or amend the Electoral Act without reference to parliament.