Following a campaign marred by a crackdown on dissent, worries about vote manipulation, and public rage over the economic crisis, Zimbabweans will vote in carefully watched presidential and legislative elections on Wednesday.
In Warren Park, Harare, on August 22, 2023, a worker prepares ballot boxes in advance of the elections in Zimbabwe.
In Warren Park, Harare, on August 22, 2023, a worker prepares ballot boxes in advance of the elections in Zimbabwe.
The opposition, which has historically been stronger in urban regions, is aiming to capitalize on a wave of unhappiness over the country’s economic woes, which include high inflation, unemployment, and pervasive poverty.
“We are fed up with this. Paddington, a 27-year-old fruit salesman, stated as he sat down, “We are (surviving) hand to mouth.
Emmerson Mnangagwa, the 80-year-old president who took office in 2017 following a coup that toppled the late dictator, Robert Mugabe, is running for re-election and has pledged to promote infrastructural development.
He exudes a sense of victory.
On the day of the election, he announced to state media, “I’m going for my second term, it’s my last term.”
The orange salesman, Paddington, who wanted not to use his full name, nervously laughed when asked if the president was the best person to turn things around.
He is not the correct person.
He remarked, “That’s to be safe and make money,” pointing to a Mnangagwa election poster on the front door of his truck, alluding to concerns about possible reprisal from authorities for individuals who openly criticize the government.
