Mary Mundeya
ELEVEN candidates including incumbent Emmerson Mnangagwa will run for the presidency in Zimbabwe’s upcoming general election, the commission running the polls has announced.
The country is set to hold its general election on August 23 to elect a new president, members of parliament and local government representatives for the next five years.
In the last general election held in 2018, a record number of 23 presidential candidates including unknown individuals contested.
However this time around the number went down due to the US$20 000 registration fees required for one to enter the presidential race.
Speaking to the state run Zimpapers Television Network (ZTN) the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) deputy chairperson, Rodney Kiwa said out of the 21 candidates who submitted their nomination papers on Wednesday, 11 had been successful whilst 10 were not accepted for various reasons including not having enough nominations from registered voters. Each candidate was required to have 10 nominations from each of the country’s 10 provinces.
Kiwa said the successful presidential candidates included the incumbent president, Emmerson Mnangagwa of Zanu PF party, Nelson Chamisa of the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC), ex-cabinet minister Saviour Kasukuwere who is contesting as an independent candidate, Douglas Mwonzora of Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), Lovemore Madhuku of National Constitutional Assembly (NCA); Joseph Busha of Free Zim Congress (FZC); Trust Chikohora of Zimbabwe Coalition for Peace and Development (ZCPD); Blessing Kasiyamhuru of Zimbabwe Partnership for Prosperity (ZIPP); Wilbert Archbald Mubaiwa of NPC, Gwinyai Muzorewa of United African National Council (UANC) and Harry Peter Wilson of Democratic Opposition Party (DOP).
He further noted that other lists of successful candidates for the National Assembly and local authority elections would be released by the 30th of June to give room for aggrieved candidates to mount court appeals.
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