Ian Khama Warns That ZANU PF Could Rig Botswana's Elections
Former Botswana president Ian Khama has warned the opposition about ZANU PF’s alleged election rigging activities in the southern African region, saying Zimbabwe’s ruling party “had become a regional cancer”.
Botswana, Africa’s longest democracy, is scheduled to hold General Elections on 30 October 2024.
Khama, campaigning for Butale, addressed supporters at a rally, alleging a plot to rig the upcoming elections on October 30, 2024, in favour of President Mokgweetsi Masisi.
According to media reports, Khama claimed that ZANU PF has become a regional threat, undermining democracy by interfering in other countries’ electoral processes.
He accused Zanu PF of sending agents to rig the forthcoming elections in Botswana.
While campaigning for BPF parliamentary candidate Modiri Jojo Lucas in Francistown, Khama alleged that the Botswana ruling party was preparing to rig the general elections by using Zimbabweans to vote for President Masisi. He said:
The ruling party is preparing to rig the general elections by using Zimbabweans to vote here in Botswana. If Zimbabweans managed to cast their votes in Mozambique’s general elections, they could do that to help the ruling party in Botswana.
Masisi declared October 30 and 31 as public holidays to encourage citizens to vote.
Masisi is seeking a second term, which would be his final one if he is reelected.
According to The Mirror, a regional publication in Zimbabwe, some Zimbabweans, including two undercover journalists, voted in Mozambique’s recent general elections.
The journalists, who were investigating potential electoral rigging, were among the hundreds who cast their votes at Nemanwa Growth Point, just outside Masvingo.
Earlier reports from the Mirror indicated that ZANU PF was mobilising its supporters to register for the Mozambique elections, which took place on October 9, 2024.
Several individuals confirmed their identities as Zimbabweans who had voted in the Mozambican elections.
The two journalists reported that they encountered no issues while voting, having presented both their local national identity cards and Mozambican voters’ cards at the polling stations.
Zimbabwean opposition politician Job Sikhala said that by sending its supporters to vote in Mozambique’s general elections, ZANU PF has become a security threat in the SADC region.
However, ZANU PF has consistently denied accusations of rigging elections, asserting that it wins fairly because its policies resonate with the electorate.
Similarly, the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) has dismissed allegations of election rigging in favour of ZANU PF.
More: Pindula News
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