Zim votes! | Business Times

MOSES MATENGA / SUKOLUHLE  NDLOVU / TANAKA FETINANDI

 

President Emmerson Mnangagwa has called for peace during and after elections as millions of Zimbabweans voted in yesterday’s elections.

The polls were in some constituencies marred by delays mainly in Harare and Bulawayo that the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) through its Chief Elections Officer Utoile Silaigwana attributed to a litany of legal challenges that forced delay of ballot papers.

Speaking after casting his vote in Sherwood, Midlands province, Mnangagwa said he was confident of an emphatic victory while calling for peace.

“I have done my duty as a citizen of the country to decide who will be the President,” a smiling Mnangagwa said.

“Peace, peace, peace not violence during and after (elections). Peace, peace,” he said.

On whether he was confident of victory, Mnangagwa said it would be “foolish” for him not to expect a win.

“If I think I am not going to take it then I will be foolish. Everyone who contests or goes into a race goes in it to win and precisely that is what I am doing.”

Speaking after casting his vote in Kuwadzana, Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) leader Nelson Chamisa said he was disappointed by the conduct of ZEC but maintained he was confident of victory.

“We are dissapointed because ZEC has disappointed the citizens.

People came in large numbers particularly in Harare and Bulawayo which are our urban areas where we are very strong,” he said citing delays in starting.

“That is a problem and we are worried about that. We have taken it up with ZEC and they have no intelligent answer to give us so we are not very happy with that.”

The SADC observer mission team leader and former Zambian Vice President Dr Nevers Mumba said the process was smooth and will issue a detailed statement.

“We are happy to see the long lines of people waiting to vote. We are glad that the situation is calm and we hope this will continue,” he said.

“So far so good in terms of the calmness but we have to go to other polling stations in order for us to assess and come up with a position to ensure the regulations that pertain the running of an election are adhered to.”

European Union Election Observation Mission Chief Observer Fabio Massimo said they have concern that in some areas, there were delays to start the voting process.

He was addressing journalists in Harare, at David Livingstone Primary school.

Voters who spoke to Business Times said they were expecting the prevailing peaceful environment to continue even after the elections.

 

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