President Emmerson Mnangagwa on Tuesday urged Zimbabweans to remain united and to refuse to be divided by foreigners and “rouge” non-governmental organisations (NGOs).
He made the remarks while addressing thousands of people who attended the main Independence Day celebrations held in Mt Darwin, Mashonaland Central Province. He said:
As the harmonised general elections draw nearer, I call on the nation to remain vigilant and protect our hard-won Independence.
No voices, foreign or local, inclusive of rogue NGOs, should sow seeds of division and disharmony among us.
Unity and peace should be preached in our families, churches and communities.
Dialogue and tolerance have been the hallmark of the Second Republic.
We must all say: No to violence, before, during and after elections.
Mnangagwa, who has been endorsed as ZANU PF’s presidential candidate in the upcoming general elections, promised to deliver credible polls. He said:
My government has put measures in place to ensure free, fair and credible elections.
According to the Election Resource Centre (ERC), an electoral and democracy think-tank, Zimbabwe cannot hold free and fair elections in 2023 if the polls are conducted under current electoral laws.
Moreover, opposition political parties have demanded that the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) release the voters’ roll but it has hitherto refused to do so.
More: Pindula News