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There are signs that the country has now slipped into another era of brutal oppression, even as newly reelected President Emmerson Mnangagwa speaks publicly of “peace, love, harmony and tolerance." “It is the beginning of a new term and we are seeing people being abducted and tortured, people’s homes being burnt down, and lawyers arrested for simply doing their job,” said Doug Coltart, one of Nhende’s lawyers, who was himself arrested. The sight of an elected representative showing injuries from a beating isn't uncommon in Zimbabwe. The CCC and analysts say there is a clear post-election clampdown now that the international observers have left. “It was a sham election, a disputed election, a flawed election.

Persons: Womberaiishe, truncheons, Emmerson Mnangagwa, —, ”, Doug Coltart, Robert Mugabe, Mnangagwa, Tapiwa Muchineripi, Coltart, bode, “, ” Mnangagwa's, Nhende, ” Nhende, Morgan Tsvangirai, Mugabe, Mkwananzi, Siziba, clampdown, Rashweat Mukundu, Nelson Chamisa, Chamisa Organizations: Citizens Coalition, ZANU, CCC, Coltart, Amnesty, Human Rights, PF, Police, AP Locations: HARARE, Zimbabwe, Harare, Africa, Zimbabwean, africa

☆ Zimbabwe: President Mnangagwa sworn in after disputed polls
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-04 | by ( Nimi Princewill | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Zimbabwe’s President Emmerson Mnangagwa was sworn in for a second five-year term Monday, a week after securing an absolute majority in a disputed presidential vote. The arrests had followed the release of a report by the Zimbabwe NGO Forum that documented irregularities on polling day, according to Amnesty International. The opposition CCC party told CNN on Monday it will not challenge Mnangagwa’s victory at the courts, because it is unsure of getting justice through the country’s legal system. Mnangagwa took the reins of power for another term in a colorful ceremony attended by thousands of Zimbabweans and regional leaders. Mnangagwa, nicknamed “The Crocodile,” succeeded Mugabe after helping to orchestrate the coup that ousted him.

Persons: CNN —, Emmerson Mnangagwa, Mnangagwa, Nelson Chamisa, ”, Reuters Mnangagwa's, Mkwananzi, Robert Mugabe, “, Mugabe Organizations: CNN, Democratic, Citizens Coalition, Zimbabwe Electoral Commission, European, Zimbabwe NGO Forum, Amnesty International, CCC, Philimon, Reuters Locations: South Africa, Democratic Republic of Congo, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Philimon Bulawayo, Harare

[1/4] Ostallos Siziba, the Deputy Spokesperson for Zimbabwe's main opposition party The Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) speaks to media in Harare, August 29, 2023. REUTERS/Philimon Bulawayo Acquire Licensing RightsHARARE, Aug 29 (Reuters) - Zimbabwe's main opposition party on Tuesday called for last week's elections to be re-run, saying the polls were riddled with flaws and calling on other African countries to help mediate in its impasse with the ruling party. The elections commission said Mnangagwa received roughly 53% of the vote against 44% for the CCC's Nelson Chamisa. Christopher Vandome from policy institute Chatham House's Africa programme said he was unsure the opposition would go the legal route at all. Zimbabwe's foreign ministry summoned European ambassadors to Zimbabwe on Monday and told them their mission's report was "full of misrepresentations and allegations".

Persons: Siziba, Emmerson Mnangagwa, Mnangagwa, Nelson Chamisa, Chris Maroleng, Christopher Vandome, Carien du Plessis, Bhargav, Alexander Winning, Sharon Singleton Organizations: Citizens Coalition, REUTERS, Philimon, Rights, Citizens ' Coalition, CCC, PF, ZANU, Good Governance, Southern African, SADC, Thomson Locations: Harare, Philimon Bulawayo, Rights HARARE, Zimbabwe, Good, Chatham, Africa, European

[1/4] Zimbabwe's President Elect Emmerson Mnangagwa speaks to the media at State House in Harare, August 27, 2023. REUTERS/Philimon Bulawayo Acquire Licensing RightsHARARE, Aug 27 (Reuters) - Zimbabwe's re-elected President Emmerson Mnangagwa suggested on Sunday that those people questioning the results of last week's election, which an opposition leader dismissed as a "gigantic fraud", take their case to court. The election commission said on Saturday that Mnangagwa, 80, had won the election with 52.6% of the vote while the opposition Citizens' Coalition for Change (CCC) leader Nelson Chamisa got 44%. Chamisa, speaking on social media platform X, formerly Twitter, said of the election: "It's a blatant and gigantic fraud." It was unclear whether the opposition would use the courts to dispute the election results, as Zimbabwe's judges have historically sided with the governing party.

Persons: Elect Emmerson Mnangagwa, Emmerson Mnangagwa, Nelson Chamisa, Mnangagwa, Robert Mugabe, Christopher Mutswangwa, ”, Munjodzi Mutandiri, Mkwananzi, Nyasha Chingono, Carien du Plessis, Bhargav Acharya, Nick Macfie, Kirsten Donovan Organizations: State House, REUTERS, Philimon, Rights, Citizens ' Coalition, ZANU, Southern, Liaison, Southern African Development Community, Thomson Locations: Harare, Philimon Bulawayo, Rights HARARE

CNN —Zimbabwe’s incumbent President Emmerson Mnangagwa was declared the winner in the country’s presidential elections on Saturday after securing an absolute majority in a tense presidential contest that was marred by delays. “The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission has announced the 2023 presidential election results. Nelson Chamisa, leader of Zimbabwe's main opposition party, the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC). In that election, in 2018, Mnangagwa won 51% of the total ballots, while Chamisa took 44%. However, Mnangagwa was sworn in after Zimbabwe’s constitutional court upheld his victory.

Persons: CNN —, Emmerson Mnangagwa, Nelson Chamisa, It’s, Zimbabwe's, ”, Robert Mugabe, “, Mugabe, Chamisa, Mnangagwa, I’m, Eldred Masunungure, Chris Mutsvangwa Organizations: CNN, Zimbabwe Electoral Commission, Citizens Coalition, Zanu, KB, Reuters, Amnesty, Zimbabwe NGO Forum, University of Zimbabwe Locations: Zimbabwe, Britain, Chamisa, Harare, wallop

REUTERS/Siphiwe Sibeko Acquire Licensing RightsHARARE, Aug 26 (Reuters) - Zimbabwe's elections commission said late on Saturday that incumbent Emmerson Mnangagwa had won this week's presidential election with roughly 53% of the vote, but the opposition and analysts immediately questioned the result. ZANU-PF supporters started singing and cheering at the results centre after the elections commission said Mnangagwa had won. Mnangagwa also narrowly defeated Chamisa at the last presidential election in 2018. The opposition alleges that election was rigged but the constitutional court upheld the result. While the run-up to the election has been largely free from violence, the police routinely ban opposition rallies and arrest opposition supporters using Zimbabwe's tough public order laws.

Persons: Emmerson Mnangagwa's, Siphiwe, Emmerson Mnangagwa, Mnangagwa, Robert Mugabe, Mnangagwa's, Nelson Chamisa, Chamisa, Nicole Beardsworth, ZEC, Nyasha Chingono, Nelson Banya, Carien du Plessis, Bhargav, Alexander Winning, Daniel Wallis Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, ZANU, Zimbabwe Electoral Commission, Citizens ' Coalition, PF, University of, SADC, Thomson Locations: Shurugwi, Midlands Province of Zimbabwe, Rights HARARE, Zimbabwe, Southern, Witwatersrand, Johannesburg

Police sealed off roads around the election results centre on Friday morning, and members of the public were being stopped for questioning, a Reuters reporter in the capital Harare said. However, results announced so far by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission showed ZANU-PF winning 38 parliamentary constituencies and the main opposition party Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) winning 32, out of a total of 210 single-member constituencies. The early results showed ZANU-PF retaining its rural base, while the CCC captured the urban vote, as has been the case in previous elections. In the highest-profile loss yet for the ruling party, the electoral commission said on Friday that Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube had lost his parliamentary contest to a CCC challenger. Mnangagwa took over from longtime strongman Robert Mugabe after a 2017 coup and won a disputed election in 2018.

Persons: Emmerson Mnangagwa's, Nelson Chamisa, Patrick Chinamasa, Mthuli Ncube, PF's Chinamasa, Mnangagwa, Robert Mugabe, Nelson Banya, Bhargav Acharya, Nellie Peyton, Alexander Winning Organizations: REUTERS, Philimon, Rights, Emmerson Mnangagwa's ZANU, World Bank, International Monetary Fund, Police, ZANU, National Assembly, Commission, Coalition, PF, CCC, Thomson Locations: Harare, Zimbabwe, Philimon Bulawayo, Rights HARARE

A tally by state broadcaster ZBC showed ZANU-PF winning 101 parliamentary constituencies and the main opposition party Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) winning 59, out of a total of 210. The result of the presidential vote has not been announced yet. The ERC later posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, that 16 of its staff together with Zimbabwe Election Support Network members had been released on $200 bail each by a magistrate. Mnangagwa last week told state media that if he got a second term, it would be his last. As in previous elections, the parliamentary results appeared to show ZANU-PF retaining its rural base, while the CCC captured the urban vote.

Persons: Emmerson Mnangagwa's, Nelson Chamisa, Fabio Massimo Castaldo, Castaldo, Nevers Mumba, Patrick Chinamasa, Mnangagwa, Eldred Masunungure, Robert Mugabe, Nelson Banya, Bhargav Acharya, Nellie Peyton, Alexander Winning, Devika Syamnath, Andrew Heavens Organizations: Emmerson Mnangagwa's ZANU, ZBC, ZANU, Coalition, World Bank, International Monetary Fund, REUTERS, Philimon, Rights Police, Zimbabwe Election, Election, Centre, ERC, Zimbabwe Election Support, Southern African Development Community, National Assembly, University of Zimbabwe, PF, CCC, Thomson Locations: EU, HARARE, Harare, Zimbabwe, Philimon Bulawayo, SADC

☆ Thousands Camp All Night to Vote, Leaving a Nation on Edge
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-24 | by ( John Eligon | More About John Eligon | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

A chaotic presidential election left Zimbabweans anxiously awaiting the outcome on Thursday after thousands were forced to wait overnight to vote and the police arrested dozens of independent election observers tasked with ensuring a fair election. Voting in Zimbabwe, a nation of 16 million people in southern Africa, was supposed to run from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Wednesday. But many polling stations, almost exclusively in urban areas that tend to favor opposition parties, had to stay open into Thursday because their ballots were not delivered until late the previous afternoon. For many, Mr. Mnangagwa has represented a continuation of his predecessor, Robert Mugabe, running an increasingly autocratic government that has failed to reverse a long-term economic crisis and isolating Zimbabwe from the West. Mr. Chamisa has sold himself as a fresh start and has vowed to re-engage with the world, particularly with the United States and Europe.

Persons: Emmerson Mnangagwa, Nelson Chamisa, Mnangagwa, Robert Mugabe, Chamisa Organizations: ZANU, Coalition Locations: Zimbabwe, Africa, United States, Europe

But analysts warned it was unlikely the ruling ZANU-PF party would allow any loosening of its 43-year grip on power. Fewer than 10 of 210 parliamentary constituencies had results on Thursday, making it too early to identify any national trend. Results in the presidential race were not expected for another day or two but before a five-day deadline. "The equipment was being used to unlawfully tabulate election voting statistics and results from polling stations throughout the country," police spokesman Paul Nyathi said in a statement. The police named some of the organisations targeted as the Zimbabwe Election Support Network, Election Resource Centre and Team Pachedu - all well-known civil society groups that had said they were monitoring the vote in the interests of democracy.

Persons: Emmerson Mnangagwa, Robert Mugabe, Nelson Chamisa, Mnangagwa's, Paul Nyathi, Eldred Masungure, Estelle Shirbon, Angus MacSwan, Miral Organizations: Police, Citizens Coalition, ZANU, PF, Bank, International Monetary Fund, Zimbabwe Election Support, Centre, Pachedu, University of Zimbabwe, Thomson Locations: Zimbabwe, HARARE, Harare

It is the second contest between the two after Mnangagwa won a closely contested poll in 2018, which the opposition allege was rigged. Some 6.6 million people are registered to vote in the nation of about 15 million. LITTLE CHANGE SINCE MUGABE ERAPolitical analysts say Zimbabwe's unending economic maelstrom could tip the contest in favour of the opposition if the election is clean. We will not accept a rigged vote," Chamisa said at his last campaign rally on Monday. If there is no outright winner, a run-off between the top two candidates will be held on Oct. 2.

Persons: Mugabe, Mnangagwa, Emmerson Mnangagwa, Robert Mugabe, Nelson Chamisa, Chamisa, Olivia Kumwenda, Estelle Shirbon, Giles Elgood Organizations: World Bank, International Monetary Fund, Citizens Coalition, MUGABE, PF, Risk Consulting, ZANU, Zimbabwe Electoral Commission, Parliamentary, Thomson Locations: HARARE, Zimbabwe, Shurugwi, Harare

☆ What to Know as Zimbabwe Elects a President
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-23 | by ( John Eligon | More About John Eligon | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The police have cracked down on opponents of President Emmerson Mnangagwa, the incumbent, whose ZANU-PF party has governed the country since independence in 1980. Inconsistencies in voter rolls and confusion over polling sites have fueled accusations that the national electoral commission is in the party’s back pocket. Mr. Mnangagwa is poised for a big victory, they say, because he has set the country on track economically. But surveys suggest that many Zimbabweans have lost faith in their president. The clear front-runners are Mr. Mnangagwa, running in his second election, and Nelson Chamisa, who challenged Mr. Mnangagwa in 2018 and now leads a new party, Citizens Coalition for Change.

Persons: Emmerson Mnangagwa, Mnangagwa, ”, Vince Musewe, It’s, Nelson Chamisa Organizations: ZANU, The New York Times, Party, Citizens Coalition Locations: Africa, Harare, Zimbabwe’s, “

☆ Zimbabwean tailors cash in on party apparel demand as vote nears
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-04 | by ( Nyasha Chingono | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/5] Zimbabwe's ruling party supporter Lameck Chimanikire checks tailor-made clothing made in support of Zimbabwe's President Emmerson Mnangagwa, at a workshop in Harare, Zimbabwe, July 18, 2023. Business is booming for Zunze making colourful clothing printed with smiling faces of politicians seeking office in the presidential and parliamentary elections due on Aug. 23. Ahead of the vote, the informal clothing industry that includes tailors like Zunze is cashing in on demand from party supporters wanting to wear their party colours on their sleeves. For others, like ZANU-PF youth leader Lameck Chimanikire, the colourful outfits are not just about making a fashion statement. Since I grew up in the apostolic church, I thought of adapting the garment to tell a political message," Chimanikire said.

Persons: Lameck, Emmerson Mnangagwa, Judah Zunze's, Nelson Chamisa, Lameck Chimanikire, Chimanikire, Nyasha Chingono, Olivia Kumwenda, Peter Graff Organizations: Zimbabwe's, REUTERS, Citizens Coalition, ZANU, Thomson Locations: Harare, Zimbabwe, Bulawayo HARARE, Harare's Warren Park, Gweru

Mugabe’s successor, Emmerson Mnangagwa, had promised sweeping political, economic and social reforms. Several opposition activists, journalists and human rights activists have been arrested over the last year, including Job Sikhala, a Parliament member and senior official with the CCC. Obey Shava, a prominent Zimbabwean human rights lawyer who has represented various opposition party supporters facing questionable charges, was violently attacked earlier this month. Human rights group Amnesty International called it a “brutal assault on civic space.”At the same time, government corruption remains a problem in Zimbabwe. Mnangagwa has blamed Western sanctions for the current economic crisis in Zimbabwe, where the annual inflation rate reached 175% in June.

Persons: Robert Mugabe, Zimbabwe’s, Mugabe’s, Emmerson Mnangagwa, “, ”, Joe Biden, ” Biden, Nelson Chamisa, Job Sikhala, Obey, Bill –, Bill, Al Jazee, Mugabe, Morgan Tsvangirai, Mnangagwa, Macky Sall, Felix Tshisekedi, Stephen Chan, ” Chan, Ruben Mbofana, –, Mbofana, Leonard Koni, Kudakwashe Regimond Tagwirei, Emmerson Mnangagwa Jr, ” Koni Organizations: U.S . Congress, “, ZANU, Citizens Coalition, Amnesty, Movement, Democratic, Mugabe, U.S, Congress, Zimbabwe Democracy, ., U.S . Treasury, Union, Reuters, SOAS University of London Locations: MUTARE, Zimbabwe, Mutare, Rhodesia, U.S, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Senegal

☆ Zimbabwean court upholds opposition campaign launch ban
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BINDURA, Zimbabwe, July 9 (Reuters) - A Zimbabwean court on Sunday upheld a ban on the planned campaign launch by main opposition party Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC), the third of its rallies to be banned as its leader Nelson Chamisa face hurdles on his campaign trail. CCC was scheduled to hold its campaign launch on Sunday in Bindura, about 100 km (62 miles) north of the capital Harare, but police banned the gathering citing problems with the venue. Bindura Magistrate Mary Musika then upheld the ban, saying CCC had failed to notify the police on time. A handful of opposition supporters chanted party slogans as they protested outside the court, adding they were not free to support their party. "It is disheartening because ZANU PF is allowed to campaign freely but they are using the law to block our rallies.

Persons: Nelson Chamisa, Mary Musika, Agency Gumbo, Patience Chigwande, Emmerson Mnangagwa, Nyasha Chingono, Olivia Kumwenda, David Holmes Organizations: Coalition, CCC, Agency, ZANU, ZANU PF, Reuters, Political, Thomson Locations: BINDURA, Zimbabwe, Bindura, Harare

☆ Zimbabwe president pledges economic revival as election campaign kicks off
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-25 | by ( Nyasha Chingono | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The election comes amid a raging economic crisis, with high inflation and a currency that plunged more than 50% this month against the U.S. dollar. In remarks aimed mostly at his rural support base at the weekend, Mnangagwa pledged infrastructure developments. Mnangagwa toppled independent Zimbabwe's first president, Robert Mugabe, in a coup in 2017, eding his 37-year rule. The opposition CCC party enjoys considerable support in towns and cities, while ZANU-PF's supporters are mainly in rural areas. Zimbabwe has endured over two decades of economic failure following land seizures by Mugabe, plunging the southern African country into an economic crisis.

Persons: Emmerson Mnangagwa, Nelson Chamisa, Mnangagwa, Robert Mugabe, eding, Mugabe, Nyasha Chingono, Carien du Plessis, Emelia Organizations: ZANU, Citizens Coalition, U.S ., CCC, Thomson Locations: Zimbabwe, Chipinge, Harare, Chamisa

☆ Zimbabwe police arrest 25 opposition members ahead of presidential election
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

HARARE, Jan 14 (Reuters) - Zimbabwean police on Saturday fired teargas at an opposition party gathering in Harare and arrested 25 of its members, including two members of parliament, the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) said. The arrests come after a wave of politically motivated violence against opposition supporters in rural Zimbabwe, raising fears of repression ahead of the presidential election this year. Police confirmed the arrests of members of the Citizens Coalition for Change, Zimbabwe's main opposition political party, and said a detailed statement would be released following investigations. Police allegedly fired teargas at the gathering, and beat up several opposition members before they were bundled into a police truck, she added. The opposition party, born out of the old Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), enjoys massive urban support and is seen as a threat to ZANU-PF's 43-year-old stranglehold on power.

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