By Dr. Masimba Mavaza | Political violence is a barbaric crime that is never excused. The media has made it appear as if political violence is embedded in the fabric of Africa. The assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump on a Sabbath has reopened several closed files. It is surprising but true that there have been multiple instances of political violence targeting U.S. presidents, former presidents, and major party presidential candidates in America. Despite the notion that the United States is the most peaceful nation when it comes to elections, the reality is different.

Many assassination attempts, both successful and unsuccessful, were motivated by a desire to change American government policy, but in most cases, they were driven by hatred against the other candidate. This is often sponsored by opposing political parties, whether in power or seeking it. Not all such attacks, however, had political reasons, at least in America. Many attackers had questionable mental stability, and a few were judged legally insane. The Congressional Research Service reports that direct assaults against presidents, presidents-elect, and candidates have occurred on at least 15 occasions, with five resulting in death.

Donald Trump was shot by a gunman during a campaign rally on Saturday in what the FBI called an attempted assassination. Trump survived the attack but appeared to have a wounded ear. Four U.S. presidents have been assassinated while in office:

• Abraham Lincoln: Killed in 1865 by John Wilkes Booth at Ford’s Theatre in Washington.
• James Garfield: Shot in 1881 in Washington at a train station and died of his wounds two and a half months later.
• William McKinley: Assassinated in 1901 by an anarchist in Buffalo, New York.
• John F. Kennedy: Killed by Lee Harvey Oswald in 1963 in Dallas, Texas, as he rode in a motorcade.

Three presidents were wounded but survived assassination attempts:

• Donald Trump: Grazed by a bullet during a campaign speech in Pennsylvania on Saturday.
• Ronald Reagan: Shot in 1981 outside the Hilton Hotel in Washington but survived.
• Gerald Ford: Survived two assassination attempts in 1975 without being hurt.
• Theodore Roosevelt: Shot in the chest in 1912 while campaigning in Milwaukee but survived.

The history of political violence has long disgraced the United States. Ironically, America has given itself a peacemaker’s title and tries hard to lecture democracy to other countries. This year, America sanctioned the Zimbabwean president, his wife, and security chiefs, accusing them of fanning hatred, intimidation, and political violence in Zimbabwe. One wonders who will sanction Biden for the violence exhibited against Trump. Mr. Trump has suffered a lot of victimization, and if this were in an African country, the case would be considered political violence. In Shona, there is a saying that translates to “Roasting is best done by the mother; the child will extinguish the fire.”

When violence occurs in America, it is given a different name. Surprisingly, there are Zimbabweans like Dzvokora in America, Shepard Jail Guard Yuda in the United Kingdom, and an insulting moron known as Baba Chipeneti who glorify the evils of the USA. Elections for a new president in Zimbabwe are often described as chaotic by the media, but contrary to outside impressions, data point to a largely peaceful situation. Zimbabwe is a more peaceful country regarding elections. The press’s noise shows a horrible bias against Zimbabwe.

The Zimbabwean elections in 2023 had very little violence. In relative terms, Zimbabwe is as safe as heaven. Different organizations and unbiased researchers show a down slope in political violence incidents in July, ahead of the elections. Over the past year, there was a weekly average of just four events, about one-fifteenth as many as Somalia, an African country of similar population size mired in conflict. This annual average is less than one-hundredth of the crisis events experienced by some of the world’s most conflict-stricken countries like Ukraine, Myanmar, Israel/Palestine, and Mexico.

Most incidents of violence occur in densely populated areas, which are often opposition strongholds in one-party states. So what you have effectively is street gangs going at it alongside some heavy-handed police activity. In Zimbabwe, the police are not the most efficient at it. Zimbabwe is a very political place with lots of rallies, street engagement, and political parties. People talk about politics openly, almost like a sport, compared to truly totalitarian countries.

In African countries with a history of friction with the West, violence seems to be a constant fear during elections. It is true that fears of violence in Zimbabwe are far greater in people’s minds in the West than in-country. They’re exaggerated. This week in the United States, a former president narrowly escaped death. More people are killed in a bar in the USA than during an entire election period in Zimbabwe. Yet, these places are spoken about differently.

The controversy over the late arrival of some ballot papers was a storm in a teacup, affecting a small number of voting districts. The attempted murder of Trump is more significant than the issues in Zimbabwe.

Political violence in the USA started with the murder of Abraham Lincoln in 1865. The 16th president was the first to be assassinated, shot by John Wilkes Booth on April 14, 1865. His support for Black rights has been cited as a motive behind his killing.

James Garfield, the 20th president, was the second to be assassinated, six months after taking office. He was shot by Charles Guiteau and died after several weeks.

William McKinley, the 25th president, was shot in Buffalo, New York, in 1901 and died from his wounds.

John F. Kennedy, the 35th president, was fatally shot in Dallas in November 1963. His assassin, Lee Harvey Oswald, was arrested but killed before trial.

Gerald Ford, the 38th president, survived two assassination attempts in 1975. Ronald Reagan, the 40th president, was shot in 1981 but recovered. Theodore Roosevelt, running as a third-party candidate, survived an assassination attempt in 1912.

Other notable attempts include:

• Franklin D. Roosevelt: Targeted in 1933, but the shooter killed Chicago Mayor Anton Cermak instead.
• Harry S. Truman: Survived an attack in 1950 at Blair House.
• George W. Bush: Survived a grenade attack in Georgia in 2005.

Presidential candidates have also been targeted, such as Robert F. Kennedy, killed in 1968, and George C. Wallace, paralyzed from a 1972 shooting.

These assassinations and attempts highlight the contrast between Zimbabwe and America. ZANU-PF is much stronger than the opposition, and public life in Zimbabwe is not tightly controlled, with no consistent repression or overt violence. In Zimbabwe, violence is generated by those with something to lose. ZANU-PF’s real worry is internal dissension and rival elites creating gangs or militias, which they police internally.

In all this, Zimbabwe is far better than America in terms of political violence.