BREAKING: Zimbabwe election date set

Emmerson Mnangagwa

BY JAMES MUONWA

The long wait for the proclamation of the harmonised election date in Zimbabwe is over following President Emmerson Mnangagwa's announcement today that polls will go ahead on 30 July.

Mnangagwa proclaimed the date through an extraordinary government gazette.

"Monday the 30th day of July, 2018 as the day of the election of the office of President, the election of members of the National Assembly and election of councillors that is the day on which a poll shall be taken if a poll becomes necessary…" reads part of the proclamation.

Recently, presidential spokesperson, George Charamba told journalists attending a media/ elections reporting workshop in Kariba that the 2018 polls sought to give the new administration legitimacy and authorities would ensure the holding of free, fair and credible elections.

"The elections are about restoring international engagement. They must free, fair, violence-free and universally-endorsed. It's an instrument of foreign policy," he said.

The proclamation comes days after the ruling Zanu PF conducted its internal polls to choose candidates to represent the revolutionary party in the defining plebiscites.

Mnangagwa faces main rival MDC-T leader Nelson Chamisa in a litmus test of his popularity among the electorate. Today Mnangagwa addressed a peace-building meeting of Zanu PF activists in Harare in a bid to unite the party following the shambolic primary elections that have seen some pockets of disgruntled members threatening a protest vote in favour of independent or opposition aspirants.

Chamisa's party, though, has been caught napping as it is still to resolve tussles within its ranks of candidates to represent the MDC Alliance, a coalition of opposition parties that have thrown their weight behind youthful Chamisa as its presidential horse.

Interestingly, the proclamation also comes a day after the close of the inspection of the provisional voters' roll compiled by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC), the country's statutory election management body. TOP NEWS.