Kukurigo
HARARE — Suspense and uncertainty shrouded Zimbabwe as the Electoral Commission (ZEC) anointed President Emmerson Mnangagwa for a second term, capturing 52.6% of the electoral spoils. His principal rival, Nelson Chamisa of the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC), lagged behind with 44%.
Justice Priscilla Chigumba, Chairperson of ZEC, solemnly endorsed the results, declaring, “Mnangagwa Emmerson Dambudzo, of the Zanu PF party, ascends to the presidency of the Republic of Zimbabwe, effective 26 August 2023.”
The electoral arithmetic spotlighted Mnangagwa’s 2,350,711 ballots against Chamisa’s 1,967,343. In the legislative arena, Zanu PF clinched 136 seats, effectively stifling a CCC surge and averting a Zanu PF supermajority.
These outcomes defied expectations. Saviour Kasukuwere, a G40 potentate in exile, had earlier radiated confidence, almost taunting Mnangagwa with a social media video serenade: “Old man, you ought to have heed my warnings—govern inclusively, for this nation belongs to its people.” His levity may have evaporated as the electoral reality crystallised.
Observers, particularly from the SADC and other global entities, questioned the electoral integrity, citing partisan media and delayed polling in opposition bastions. Nevers Mumba, chief of the SADC Observer Mission, found himself mired in controversy for accompanying Chamisa to cast his ballot, a gesture lambasted by state-affiliated publications and George Charamba, a government spokesperson whose incendiary commentary on Mumba resulted in a Twitter ban.
Mumba, no neophyte to public scrutiny, remained stoic, his demeanor reminiscent of his 2012 clash with rival politicians where he allegedly unleashed party enforcers on a national secretary who had sought to oust him.
New CCC spokesperson Promise Mkwananzi remains elusive, dodging police over a lingering 2020 court case connected to incitement of violence charges. Nick Mangwana, Government Spokesperson, insinuated deeper intrigues: “Madrama aya atanga (the theatrics have begun). Have you ever asked yourself why an affable and more civil-mannered spokesperson was changed in the thick of an election contest for a militant one who favours a violent confrontation? The reasons are unfolding.”
Mnangagwa’s reelection casts Zimbabweans into contemplation about their nation’s trajectory. Though the President aspired for a decisive victory to shatter years of global ostracism, the disputed nature of his triumph may only exacerbate it.
Capped by a two-term limit per the 2013 constitution, this will be Mnangagwa’s final act. Political soothsayers suggest this might dilute his sway within Zanu PF, as factions coalesce around his presumptive heir, Vice President Constantino Chiwenga.
Unprecedented electoral delays tarnished the vote, compelling a second day of polling. Chamisa decried these lags as “blatant voter suppression.”
As Zimbabwe stands at a pivotal juncture, this election has offered its citizenry ample fodder for reflection. The pressing query remains: What next? And that, indeed, is the question reverberating on every Zimbabwean lip.
