In an interview with South African broadcaster NewzroomAfrika, prominent Zimbabwean opposition leader Nelson Chamisa rejected the call for Zimbabweans living in South Africa to return home to vote in the country’s national elections.
Chamisa argued that it is disingenuous to make such a request, given the deeply flawed nature of Zimbabwe’s electoral process.
He claimed that the results of elections are routinely manipulated in favour of the incumbent government. Said Chamisa:
Just the past year we have had many Zimbabweans leaving the country seeking better and greener pastures, and better opportunities.
To invite people back into hell or to invite them back into this very difficult situation, I think is disingenuous.
We have to correct the settings. Zimbabweans have a role to play in elections, but the elections are actually not proper elections.
So even if Zimbabweans were to come, look at what happened in the past elections, people were in the queues, the ballot papers were not there.
The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission could not produce ballot papers, and it turned out that Mr Mnangagwa’s friend Wicknell Chivayo was actually printing the ballot papers and playing the sabotage.
The election was just a sham. So, to talk of elections and Zimbabweans coming to those elections and participating is a bit of a challenge.
The 46-year-old former Citizens’ Coalition for Change (CCC) leader criticized neighbouring countries, particularly South Africa, for failing to exert pressure on Zimbabwe’s ZANU PF-led government to implement democratic reforms. Said Chamisa:
The key thing is for the South African government to help Zimbabweans help themselves. They do so by not expressing solidarity with the dictatorship.
They do so by helping Zimbabweans have proper processes, and proper elections and resolve their politics.
Right now, we have over 100 political activists who are incarcerated. There is no solidarity from the countries that are supposed to help us.
Chamisa’s criticism follows recent comments made by South African opposition leader Julius Malema, who called for Zimbabweans living in South Africa to return home during elections and vote ZANU PF out of power.
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