DA calls on international community to scrutinise Zimbabwe elections
22 August 2023
Tomorrow, 23 August 2023, the people of Zimbabwe will head to the polls to elect their government. All indications point to yet another ZANU-PF captured election.
The run-up to these elections has once again been marred by the jailing of opposition leaders, rife intimidation of opposition supporters, the weaponization of courts against opponents, a captured Zimbabwe Electoral Commission, and the passage of subversive anti-democracy legislation. Unfair coverage by state media, a lack of transparency, and interference by ruling elites in the timeous disclosure of the voters’ roll remain key stumbling blocks.
Reports indicate that the leading opposition party, the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC), has had its campaign rallies arbitrarily banned. Opposition politicians such as Jacob Ngarivhume and Job Sikhala have been detained without access to fair trial.
It is clear that none of the previous election recommendations made by the Southern African Development Community (SADC), the African Union (AU), or the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) have yet been implemented. No tangible action has been taken by any regional bodies to intervene and mitigate against yet another stolen election.