‘The Crocodile has not changed’: Zimbabwe opposition warns of election violence
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Loading... - Akello Okoth
- 26 Jan 2023
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Opposition leader Nelson Chamisa urges world to keep ‘eyes on’ President Mnangagwa amid fears of repression this summer
The leader of Zimbabwe’s main opposition party has warned of violence and repression by the ruling Zanu-PF party to ensure victory in elections scheduled for later this year.
In an interview with the Observer, Nelson Chamisa, president of the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC), called on the international community to have “eyes on” the struggling southern African country despite other crises around the world and to “offer solidarity” to those fighting for change there.
“Here too, people are being killed for their opinions. Zimbabweans want to see change and want to see a transformation,” Chamisa said.
The coming elections, set to be held in July or August, will be the second after the military takeover that ended the rule of veteran leader Robert Mugabe in 2017 and brought Emmerson Mnangagwa, one of the former dictator’s chief lieutenants, to power.
Hopes of a new era of reform, democracy and accountability after the 37 years of Mugabe’s increasingly authoritarian regime proved misplaced. Critics of the new government have faced successive crackdowns while economic conditions for most of the population have worsened.
Mnangagwa, whose guile and alleged brutality earned him the nickname “the Crocodile”, is expected to stand for a second term in this year’s elections.
“The leopard has not changed its spots … The crocodile has not changed its antics and tactics, so violence is a big fear. Violence is the Zanu-PF’s default setting. We see dark clouds gathering,” Chamisa said.
Last weekend, the authorities gave a vivid demonstration of what opposition activists might expect in the months ahead when they raided a gathering of CCC activists in a private home in the Budiriro township, about 10 miles (16km) from the centre of the capital, Harare. Dozens were detained, and 25 appeared in court last week. Read More…
