The United Kingdom is set to engage South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa to lead other African leaders to push President Emmerson Mnangagwa to ensure that Zimbabwe holds free, fair and credible elections in 2023.
The issue was debated in the British House of Lords last Thursday after it was raised by Baroness Kate Hoey. She said:
My Lords, the noble Lord, Lord Oates has outlined the shocking violence perpetrated by ZANU PF and Mnangagwa on anyone, really, who opposes the regime.
The economic situation is dire, and hunger is being used against anyone who opposes the regime.
Does not the visit of the South African President — the first state visit under His Majesty the King — give the government a wonderful opportunity to work with the South African government and talk to them about how they, and other countries in Africa, can influence together to ensure that there really will be free and fair elections next year in Zimbabwe?
In his response, the UK’s minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, Frank Zacharias Robin Goldsmith said the issue of Zimbabwe will be discussed during Ramaphosa’s visit. He said:
There is no doubt that South Africa, and indeed southern African countries, not least through SADC, have a particular ability to influence Zimbabwe, far more so than we can.
I am sure that the topic we are discussing today will be on the agenda when the visit happens.
Lord Robert Hayward, who was one of the Commonwealth election observers in the 2018 elections in Zimbabwe, said the elections were not free and fair and challenged the UK to put pressure on the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC). He said:
My lords, reference has already been made to the elections in 2018; at that time I was one of the observers from this country on behalf of the Commonwealth, with the noble Baroness, Lady Jay.
The report was pretty damning, particularly in relation to the events after the general election in 2018.
Can my noble friend (Goldsmith) ensure that very strong representations are made to the electoral commission because it has been lamentable in any action?
It was before the 2018 election, and there is no sign that it will enforce any form of free and fair elections next year.
Goldsmith said the British government was aware that Mnangagwa is keen on re-establishing cordial relations between the two countries and that gives the UK an opportunity to put pressure on Harare to reform. He said:
We will use whatever leverage we have to maximise the chance of free and fair elections.
I make a broader point: we know that President Mnangagwa wants more engagement with the UK — that is clear— and in many respects we want him to have that too.
However, deeper re-engagement with the UK will require meaningful political and economic reform and respect for human rights and the rule of law in line with the President’s own stated commitments when he took office.