Zimbabwe opposition finally launches election campaign

Zimbabwe’s largest opposition party has finally managed to launch its election campaign after multiple bans of planned rallies ahead of August 23 general polls.
The southern African nation, long prone to political and economic instability, is bracing for another electoral battle between opposition leader Nelson Chamisa, and iron-fisted President Emmerson Mnangagwa.
Chamisa, the 45-year-old leader of the recently formed Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) party, vowed to win despite what he said were efforts by authorities to block his rallies.
“You cannot stop an idea whose time has come,” he told an enthusiastic crowd of supporters in Gweru, about 300km (186 miles) southwest of Harare. “They can stop our meetings but they cannot stop people from loving me.”
The CCC says that more than 90 of its rallies have been blocked since the party’s formation early last year.
Chamisa vowed yesterday to clamp down on corruption and said the theme of his campaign was “For Everyone”. “There is a national grievance across the whole country. We are ushering a government which will bring opportunities for everyone.”
He lamented the lack of development in the country, saying that there is little to show after 43 years of democracy.
“All we see is poverty, unemployment and millions going to the diaspora,” he told thousands of supporters gathered at a stadium in the city.
Supporters clad in the party’s yellow regalia braved chilly weather to attend the rally following sustained efforts by the police and judiciary to ban opposition party rallies.
“They have been banning our campaigns, but no one will ban us from people’s hearts,” Chamisa said to thunderous applause.
He promised to deal with endemic corruption and misuse of the country’s resources by the ruling elite, adding that the mineral-rich country should benefit all.
This is Chamisa’s second bid for the presidency and first under the banner of the CCC, which launched early last year.
In 2018, he became Zimbabwe’s youngest-ever presidential candidate, narrowly losing to incumbent Mnangagwa in the disputed poll.
Chamisa said his party would remain vigilant against electoral malpractice.
“We will not accept a rigged election this time,” he said, promising other reforms including improved salaries for the civil service.
Mnangagwa, who replaced strongman ruler Robert Mugabe in 2017 after a military-led coup, heads the ruling ZANU-PF party, which has been in power since independence in 1980.
Human rights activists have accused his government of clamping down on dissent and failing to uphold basic rights.
Zimbabweans will vote in local, parliamentary, and presidential polls next month.
The upcoming general election is expected to be close, with both Mnangagwa and Chamisa enjoying support across the country.
Chamisa plans to take his campaign to the countryside in an effort to win over historically ZANU-PF voters.