Zimbabwean opposition leader Nelson Chamisa has called for solidarity from regional partners against a vote he called a “gigantic fraud” that returned Emmerson Mnangagwa to power in Zimbabwe.

“Africa, do not leave us. Particularly our brothers and sisters in the region and the continent. We count on your solidarity as we seek to solve this political crisis,” Chamisa said at a press conference in Harare.

Mnangagwa secured a second term as president after he was declared winner of the 23 August general elections, with 52.6% to Chamisa’s 44%, amid criticism from regional observers who described the polls as falling short of standards.

The election came six years after long-term ruler Robert Mugabe was deposed in a military coup at a time of economic suffering and the resurgence of runaway inflation. It is the second time Mnangagwa and Chamisa have squared off in a presidential contest.

The South African Development Committee (SADC) election observer mission said in a report on Friday that the polls fell short of “the requirement of the constitution of Zimbabwe”.

The SADC observers said although the electoral environment was largely peaceful, the polls failed a credibility test. The EU observer mission said the election took place in a climate of “fear”. Lire la suite »