Exiled dethroned Zimbabwean Chief Nhlanhla Felix Ndiweni has urged foreign election observers accredited to cover Zimbabwe’s 2023 elections to consider events since 2018 polls before writing their final reports.
He says President Emmerson Mnangagwa is planning to arrest all opposition leaders before polls.
Her comments comes at the time opposition party Transform Zimbabwe leader Jacob Ngarivhume was jailed on what critics say are trumped up charges.
Apparently, Zimbabwe recently approved a law (Patriotic Act) that criminalises and punishes citizens who associate with foreign governments in acts that are viewed as meant to undermine the country’s sovereignty.
“Good people. We do hope that those international Election Observers who get accredited by The Zimbabwe Election Commission, Zec, ” DO NOT” begin their reports on the day they arrive in Harare.
“But that they begin in 2018 to 2023. For elections are rigged before election day,” he says.
He believes that with a number of democratic acts such as the right to demonstrate have been outlawed in Zimbabwe, the situation is not best one for free and fair elections.
“Such democratic acts as protesting are no longer allowed in Zimbabwe by the Zanu PF government. Yesterday we were not batton charged by the British Police. We were not illegally detained ” indefinitely”. We were allowed to protest. As we should ” ALL” be allowed to protest in Zimbabwe,” adds Chief Ndiweni.
He says if ZANU PF would claim election victory, such acts should be rejected.
“And so if Zanu PF gov should wish to claim victory in the 2023 elections we without reservations would reject such a claim and would show the world why such protests were necessary.
“Zanu PF government seeks to lock up all Opposition Leaders and then do an “election”. Madness,” he says.
Zwnews
