JUST IN:Mnangagwa announces 2023 Harmonised Elections.Date

President Emmerson Mnangagwa has hinted that the 2023 elections might be held in the second half of the year.

Zimbabwe braces itself for the decisive poll — the second since Mnangagwa took over from the late Robert Mugabe in November 2017.

Speaking at the Zimbabwe-Belarus instruments of cooperation signing ceremony held at State House yesterday, the ZANU PF leader said the 2023 harmonised elections may be held in July. He said:

Zimbabwe will soon hold elections, sometimes in July possibly.

Let me assure that since independence, Zimbabwe has never omitted to hold elections every five years.

Mnangagwa said the ruling ZANU PF party has been ‘dominating’ elections since independence and the 2023 poll is no exception. He said:

We have elections and ruling party Zanu PF has been winning all those elections and we will continue winning.

Last time, 59 parties contested and we had 23 presidential contestants. This is beautiful. The more the people who want to be president, the merrier it is.

I don’t know who wants to contest this but the contest is open to everyone. Zanu PF is confident that we will win.

Mnangagwa will be challenged for the country’s Presidency by his fierce rival Nelson Chamisa, who leads the country’s main opposition party —the Citizens Coalition for Change.