Chissano Attends Mnangagwa's Rally, Plans To Attend Chamisa's To Understand Zimbabwe's Politics
Former Mozambican President Joachim Chissano attended President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s rally in Midlands and was reportedly planning to attend opposition leader Nelson Chamisa’s rally as well, in order to gain a comprehensive understanding of Zimbabwe’s political landscape before the upcoming elections.
Chissano currently serves as the special facilitator for Zimbabwe’s debt and arrears clearance program, sponsored by the African Development Bank. His responsibilities include working towards resolving Zimbabwe’s longstanding standoff with creditors and the international community. During a conference on Zimbabwe’s debt crisis in May, Chissano emphasized to Mnangagwa the importance of addressing governance, rule of law, human rights, and freedom of expression as major challenges facing the country. Critics have accused the ruling Zanu PF administration of failing to implement electoral reforms recommended by SADC, the AU, and the Monthlante Commission, which investigated the 2018 post-election protests and civilian deaths.
According to presidential spokesperson George Charamba, former Mozambican President Joachim Chissano requested to attend both Zanu PF and CCC rallies in order to support peaceful, free, and fair elections in Zimbabwe as a step towards resolving the country’s debt issue. The Zimbabwean government granted his request due to Chissano’s status as an elder statesman and his involvement in Zimbabwe Debt Resolution. Charamba said on Twittera:
President of Mozambique, Cde Joachim Chissano is attending the Midlands Rally.
As both an elder statesman and a champion on Zimbabwe Debt Resolution, the former President requested that he attends two rallies: one for Zanu PF, another for Triple C.
The Zimbabwean Govt acceded to the request.
It is anticipated that Chissano will attend Chamisa’s second-to-last rally in Bulawayo on Sunday or the one in Harare on Monday. According to poll experts and evident public support, Chamisa is regarded as President Mnangagwa’s primary rival.
Zimbabwe will conduct elections on August 23 to select a President, Councillors, Senators, and National Assembly representatives. Some observers have raised concerns about the possibility of another disputed election, citing issues like violence and the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission’s (ZEC) failure or reluctance to release the final voters’ roll and polling station list. These factors contribute to the uncertainty surrounding the electoral process in Zimbabwe.