Zimbabwe: Mnangagwa Sets By-Elections for March

President Emmerson Mnangagwa has announced by-elections will be held in March next year.

Mnangagwa, who was addressing journalists Wednesday, after Zanu PF Politburo final 2021 sitting said the elections had been put on hold by Covid-19 restrictions meant to protect citizens from the deadly pandemic.

He said there was no way his government could copy other countries that held elections over the same period as Zimbabwe is under sanctions imposed by the West.

“As we prepare for the forthcoming by-elections next year in March and the 2023 harmonised elections, greater focus must be on mobilising our membership to register as voters. The opposition must be voted out. We want to beat them in by-elections and harmonised elections,” Mnangagwa said.

“There are those who are accusing us of not holding by-elections, we had to choose between exposing our people to Covid-19 and suspending by-elections. We are not in the same category as other countries that have no sanctions.

“In the region, we are one of the countries that have done well against the impact of Covid-19, but now at Level 2 lockdown, we have now opened, we are going to have our elections in March. I will be making my proclamation very soon.”

The government shelved all parliamentary and council by-elections with Mnangagwa claiming his government was concentrating on fighting the Covid-19 pandemic.

Last month, the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) announced a roadmap that would have see the country holding by-elections before April next year.

Some 28 vacancies have to be filled in the House of Assembly and with 105 local council seats.

Most of the vacant seats are as a result of recalls by MDC-T led Douglas Mwonzora who has spent the better part of 2020 and 2021 dismissing MDC Alliance MPs and councillors that either refused to cross the opposition floor and pledged allegiance to the rival opposition leader, Nelson Chamisa.

By New Zimbabwe.