The Heat: Zimbabwe elections

The Heat

Zimbabwe Elections

Frustration over delays in reporting presidential election results in Zimbabwe leads to violence in the capital of Harare.

Hundreds of supporters from the opposition Movement for Democratic Change, or MDC Alliance said their candidate Nelson Chamisa has won and have been protesting in the streets and setting fires. Police used water cannons and tear gas in an effort to disperse the crowds and then opened fire, reportedly killing and wounding a number of protesters.

President Emmerson Mnangagwa is calling for patience and calm but European Union election monitors are questioning why it’s taking so long to release the results.   

Unofficial results show Mnangagwa’s ruling Zanu-PF party winning a majority of seats in parliament. The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission has until Saturday to announce if either Mnangagwa or Chamisa have 50-percent of the vote, or will face a run-off election in September.

To discuss all of this:

  • Chipo Dendere is a visiting assistant professor of Political Science at Amherst College and researches African politics
  • Lloyd Msipa is the founder of the Africa Public Policy Research Institute.
  • Joseph Ochieno is a writer and commentator on African Affairs.
  • Dorina Bekoe is an associate professor of conflict prevention, mitigation and resolution at the Africa Center for Strategic Studies.

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