HARARE, Zimbabwe
Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa on Tuesday vowed that general elections expected later this year will be free and fair - but also issued a warning to "rogue" civic society organizations during an Independence Day speech.
The 80-year-old leader, who is
seeking re-election, urged Zimbabweans to "say no to violence, before,
during and after" the upcoming vote.
"My government has put
measures in place to ensure free, fair and credible elections", he said in
a speech delivered at an event to mark 43 years of independence from Britain.
Mnangagwa also warned of
"voices, foreign or local, inclusive of rogue NGOs" sowing
"seeds of division and disharmony among us".
In early February the
country's parliament approved a bill banning civil society organizations from
engaging in politics.
Under the new legislature, the
state can intervene in the governance and activities of charities and civil
groups, including making changes to their internal management and funding.
The law, which caused outcry
from rights groups and the global community, states that violators would risk
up to a year in jail.
The southern African country
is due to hold presidential and legislative votes, expected to be in August,
but no date has been announced yet.
Mnangagwa's Independence Day
celebrations were held in the small-town Mount Darwin, around 155 kilometers
northeast of the capital Harare.
In 2018 Mnangagwa won disputed
elections that his main rival Nelson Chamisa insists were rigged.
The two will face off for a
second time in the upcoming polls.
Nicknamed "the
Crocodile" for his ruthless cunning, Mnangagwa replaced strongman ruler
Robert Mugabe in 2017 after a military-led coup.
He faces widespread discontent
as he struggles to ease entrenched poverty, end chronic power cuts and crippling
unemployment.
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