Violence has broken out in Zimbabwe in the wake of Monday’s national elections with at least three killed.
The three were reportedly killed in the capital of Harare after the army opened fire on opposition supporters who police said were rioting. Protestors had taken to the streets claiming the elections had been rigged after the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission said the ruling Zanu-PF Party had won a majority of seats and after Nelson Chamisa, leader of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change, declared he had won the popular vote.
The ZEC was expected to announce the results of the race for president – which had pitted incumbent Emmerson Mnangagwa against Chamisa – on Wednesday but failed to do so, a move which has been criticised by European observers.
The election is the first since former President Robert Mugabe was forced to resign after almost four decades leading the nation.
Earlier, the Zimbabwe Council of Churches called for prayer as results were collated.
Adebayo Anthony Kehinde, a member of the World Council of Churches’ Commission of the Churches on International Affairs, was reported on the WCC website that he was very happy with the large turnout at many polling stations – reported at 70 per cent across the country.
“The enthusiasm of the people and the role played by the Zimbabwe Council of Churches with accompaniment of other ecumenical actors has helped greatly in building more credibility into the electoral process,” he said. “As a witness to the final rallies of the two main political parties, both offered great hope to the population. However, we still need to keep Zimbabwe in our prayers as we await the final results.”
The ZCC had election monitors at polling stations throughout the country.
Rev Dr Andrew Williams, who participated as an international observer representing the WCC in the elections, said the ZCC campaign “I pray I vote” – which was initiated six months prior to election day – had helped to mobilise people “to exercise their right to vote” in the election.
“In visiting polling stations on Election Day, the process seemed to run smoothly and be conducted carefully according to the rules,” Williams was quoted as saying. “We saw no violence, but rather people who were willing to come out early and sometimes wait for a considerable time to exercise their right to vote.”
