President Emmerson Mnangagwa of Zimbabwe has launched his bid for a second term, making a commitment to rejuvenate the nation’s collapsed economy.
Mnangagwa, who is seeking re-election amidst a severe economic crisis characterized by soaring inflation and a plunging currency, has vowed to prioritize infrastructure development, power generation, and the mining sector. Addressing a large gathering of supporters in Chipinge, approximately 500 km (311 miles) east of the capital Harare over the weekend, he emphasized that his administration has already achieved progress in these domains, aiming to generate a staggering $12 billion in mining revenue by 2023.
“ZANU-PF is unstoppable. It will continue governing Zimbabwe as other parties continue to split asunder. We fought for our democracy, no one will stop us. We are building roads and dams and recently we started installing solar boreholes in every village across the country.”
The main contender against Mnangagwa is anticipated to be Nelson Chamisa, a 45-year-old pastor and lawyer who leads the Citizens Coalition for Change party. Chamisa has garnered significant support in urban areas across the country.
Nevertheless, Mnangagwa remains confident in his party’s capacity to lead Zimbabwe, asserting that ZANU-PF is an “unstoppable” force that will continue governing the nation while other parties “fall apart.” The election is scheduled to take place on August 23rd and occurs amidst accusations of Mnangagwa’s government tightening its grip on democracy.
This election coincides with a severe economic crisis, characterized by rampant inflation and a currency depreciation of over 50% against the U.S. dollar within this month.
Mnangagwa, Chamisa, Others Vie for Zimbabwean Presidency
In the upcoming August election, the electoral commission has disclosed that eleven candidates will contend for the position of Zimbabwe’s president after several contenders failed to meet the required $20,000 deposit to secure a spot on the ballot.
Emmerson Mnangagwa, the incumbent leader of the ZANU-PF party, is poised to face Nelson Chamisa, a pastor, and lawyer who garners significant support from the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC), in the electoral race.
A number of the optimistic candidates who were unable to fulfill the $20,000 deposit requirement and secure a place on the ballot were among the 11 candidates disqualified from the August 23 election by the commission.
Among them was Linda Masarira, the sole female candidate who expressed her intention to run for the presidency.
Simultaneously, parliamentary elections will also be held on the same day. While Mnangagwa and Chamisa are the frontrunners in the pursuit of revitalizing Zimbabwe’s ailing economy, an independent candidate for the presidency has recently emerged.
Political analysts predict that Saviour Kasukuwere, a former cabinet minister under Robert Mugabe’s administration who now runs as an independent, is likely to receive support in ZANU-PF strongholds.
Kasukuwere had previously harbored aspirations for the presidency but fled the country following the revolution that ousted Mugabe.
Mnangagwa, an 80-year-old, is seeking re-election amid an economic crisis that has witnessed the Zimbabwean currency depreciating by over 50% against the US dollar this month. As he submitted his nomination at the High Court, Mnangagwa expressed his admiration for democracy.
Chamisa, whose party is expected to emerge victorious in this election despite narrowly losing the previous one in 2018, has reaffirmed this belief.
