<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="547" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/XGZ3ANUZZ5JLDNF2QVFCFDLSCM-820x547.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-427259" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/XGZ3ANUZZ5JLDNF2QVFCFDLSCM-820x547.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/XGZ3ANUZZ5JLDNF2QVFCFDLSCM-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/XGZ3ANUZZ5JLDNF2QVFCFDLSCM-135x90.jpg 135w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/XGZ3ANUZZ5JLDNF2QVFCFDLSCM-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/XGZ3ANUZZ5JLDNF2QVFCFDLSCM-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/XGZ3ANUZZ5JLDNF2QVFCFDLSCM-scaled.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">FILE PHOTO: Taiwan&#8217;s President Tsai Ing-wen speaks during the Ketagalan forum in Taipei, Taiwan August 8, 2023. REUTERS/Carlos Garcia Rawlins/File Photo</figcaption></figure>



TAIPEI/MBABANE, (Reuters) &#8211; Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen arrived on Tuesday in Eswatini, Taipei&#8217;s last African ally, saying the island will continue to confidently engage with the world and show it is a force for good.



Taiwan, which China claims as its own territory with no right to state-to-state relations, now has formal ties with&nbsp;only 13 countries, almost all small, less developed nations in Latin America, the Caribbean and the Pacific, like Belize and Nauru.



In March, Honduras&nbsp;ended decades of ties&nbsp;with Taiwan.



The Taiwanese delegation signed three memoranda of understanding with the southern&nbsp;African country after it met with Eswatini&#8217;s King Mswati III.



Taiwan committed to providing $1 million to help the kingdom establish a fund, aimed at supporting women in initiating businesses, Eswatini&#8217;s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.



Tsai, speaking at the airport before leaving, said Eswatini was a &#8220;familiar old friend&#8221;.



&#8220;Not only will Taiwan&#8217;s footsteps to the world not stop, we will continue to move forward more firmly and self-confidently, so that the world can see Taiwan&#8217;s steady force for good,&#8221; she said, in comments broadcast live by the presidential office.



Tsai is in Eswatini, formerly known as Swaziland, from Sept. 5 to 7 for the 55th anniversary of the country&#8217;s independence, and also marking 55 years of bilateral relations.



Eswatini is almost entirely surrounded by South&nbsp;Africa, which Chinese President Xi Jinping visited last month.



Tsai is flying directly to Eswatini and not having to stop over anywhere, unlike visits to Latin America which require transits via the United States that always anger China.



Tsai last&nbsp;visited Eswatini in 2018, and this time is being accompanied by Economy Minister Wang Mei-hua.



Taiwan has provided large amounts of aid to the small southern&nbsp;African country ruled by an absolute monarchy, including in 2021 antiviral medication to help King Mswati III recover from COVID.



(Reporting by Ben Blanchard and Lunga Masuku; Additional reporting by Anait Miridzhanian; Editing by Michael Perry, Josie Kao, William Maclean)

FILE PHOTO: Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen speaks during the Ketagalan forum in Taipei

Taiwan president arrives in Eswatini to visit last African ally

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="558" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Q7JLQ4HGHNJ35KKCJBXFPSN3O4-820x558.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-426272" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Q7JLQ4HGHNJ35KKCJBXFPSN3O4-820x558.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Q7JLQ4HGHNJ35KKCJBXFPSN3O4-300x204.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Q7JLQ4HGHNJ35KKCJBXFPSN3O4-132x90.jpg 132w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Q7JLQ4HGHNJ35KKCJBXFPSN3O4-768x523.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Q7JLQ4HGHNJ35KKCJBXFPSN3O4-1536x1046.jpg 1536w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Q7JLQ4HGHNJ35KKCJBXFPSN3O4-scaled.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Zimbabwe&#8217;s President Emmerson Mnangagwa attends the event to commission the Prospect Lithium mine and processing plant in Goromonzi, Zimbabwe July 5, 2023. REUTERS/Philimon Bulawayo</figcaption></figure>



HARARE, Sept 1 (Reuters)&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;Zimbabwe&#8217;s main opposition party called on Friday for nationwide protests and a re-run of elections that it said fraudulently handed President Emmerson Mnangagwa a second term in office.



The appeal from the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) came a day after Mnangagwa said the vote was valid and warned there would be a crackdown on anyone spreading chaos.



&#8220;I warn anybody who may want to bring any chaos in this country we are ready,&#8221; he said during a ceremony to open a lithium plant. &#8220;Whoever shall preach hate speech will be responsible for their hate speech, our prisons are not full.&#8221;



The electoral commission said late on Saturday Mnangagwa had secured roughly 53% of the vote, leaving CCC leader Nelson Chamisa in second place on 44%. Mnangagwa&#8217;s ruling ZANU-PF party was named winner of the parliamentary election but fell just short of the two-thirds majority needed to change the constitution.



Analysts have questioned the credibility of the elections, which were marred by arrests of vote monitors. ZANU-PF has said there were no irregularities and Mnangagwa has urged anyone with complaints to go to the courts.



The CCC has accused ZANU-PF of suppressing the vote in areas where it polls well, but has so far not lodged a legal complaint.



On Friday it called for protests in Zimbabwe&#8217;s 10 provinces and asked activists to launch online campaigns and share evidence of voting malpractice.



&#8220;We are encouraging people to behave in a peaceful manner. The protests are up to the people. We just want their vote to find expression,&#8221; CCC spokesman Promise Mkwananzi told Reuters.



The CCC wants other African countries to intervene and mediate in its dispute with the ruling party, but analysts say its chances of overturning the election results via the courts are slim given the judicial system is viewed as being controlled by ZANU-PF.



The CCC has seven days from the results declaration to lodge a court appeal.



(Reporting by Nyasha Chingono; Editing by Alexander Winning and Andrew Heavens)

Zimbabwe’s President Emmerson Mnangagwa attends the event to commission the Prospect Lithium mine and processing plant in Goromonzi

Zimbabwe opposition calls for nationwide protests over disputed vote

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="547" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/DDF5MFGBVZOMPF3MGP2DE7HGTM-820x547.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-427043" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/DDF5MFGBVZOMPF3MGP2DE7HGTM-820x547.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/DDF5MFGBVZOMPF3MGP2DE7HGTM-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/DDF5MFGBVZOMPF3MGP2DE7HGTM-135x90.jpg 135w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/DDF5MFGBVZOMPF3MGP2DE7HGTM-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/DDF5MFGBVZOMPF3MGP2DE7HGTM-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/DDF5MFGBVZOMPF3MGP2DE7HGTM-scaled.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Zimbabwe&#8217;s President Elect Emmerson Mnangagwa speaks to the media at State House in Harare, August 27, 2023. REUTERS/Philimon Bulawayo</figcaption></figure>



JOHANNESBURG, (Reuters)&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;South Africa and the U.S. separately on Monday noted observers&#8217; concerns with last week&#8217;s presidential and parliamentary&nbsp;elections in Zimbabwe&nbsp;and called for peace, after the opposition&nbsp;called the vote a fraud.



The elections commission declared incumbent President&nbsp;Emmerson Mnangagwa, 80, the winner late on Saturday, but analysts have widely questioned the credibility of the result.



Mnangagwa&#8217;s main challenger,&nbsp;Nelson Chamisa&nbsp;of the opposition Citizens&#8217; Coalition for Change party, indicated on Sunday that he was counting on the international community to apply pressure over the way the elections were conducted.



South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said his country had &#8220;taken note of the preliminary pronouncements by &#8230; the African Union (AU) and the South African Development Community (SADC) &#8230; Observer Missions,&#8221; urging all parties in Zimbabwe to work together.



SADC&#8217;s mission flagged voting delays, the banning of opposition rallies and biased state media coverage as concerns, while the head of the European Union&#8217;s observer mission said on Friday the elections took place in a &#8220;climate of fear&#8221;.



Ramaphosa&#8217;s statement showed his government was ready to help resolve the impasse between the Zimbabwean government and the opposition, foreign policy analyst Lwazi Somya said.



Somya, a senior researcher at think-tank the Southern Africa Liaison Office, said South Africa would likely try to deal with the aftermath of the elections in a multilateral format such as regional bloc SADC.



A U.S. State Department spokesperson said on Monday that the U.S. noted &#8220;systemic bias&#8221; against Zimbabwe&#8217;s opposition in the pre-election period and strongly condemned the &#8220;intimidation and disruption of lawful election observers throughout the electoral period&#8221;.



The U.S. was engaging with regional leaders to share its concerns, spokesperson Matthew Miller said.



Analysts said before the vote that the electoral playing field was heavily skewed in favour of Mnangagwa and the ruling ZANU-PF party, which has been in power for more than four decades.



ZANU-PF denies it had an unfair advantage, and Mnangagwa has encouraged those with complaints about the results to go to court.



(Reporting by Carien du Plessis and Bhargav Acharya; Editing by Alexander Winning and Josie Kao)

Zimbabwe election results announced

South Africa and US note observer concerns on Zimbabwe elections

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="547" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/DDF5MFGBVZOMPF3MGP2DE7HGTM-820x547.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-427043" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/DDF5MFGBVZOMPF3MGP2DE7HGTM-820x547.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/DDF5MFGBVZOMPF3MGP2DE7HGTM-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/DDF5MFGBVZOMPF3MGP2DE7HGTM-135x90.jpg 135w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/DDF5MFGBVZOMPF3MGP2DE7HGTM-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/DDF5MFGBVZOMPF3MGP2DE7HGTM-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/DDF5MFGBVZOMPF3MGP2DE7HGTM-scaled.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Zimbabwe&#8217;s President Elect Emmerson Mnangagwa speaks to the media at State House in Harare, August 27, 2023. REUTERS/Philimon Bulawayo</figcaption></figure>



HARARE, Aug 27 (Reuters) &#8211; Zimbabwe&#8217;s re-elected President Emmerson Mnangagwa suggested on Sunday that anyone questioning the results of last week&#8217;s election take their case to court as an opposition leader accused him of &#8220;gigantic fraud&#8221;.



Mnangagwa, 80, won the election with 52.6% of the vote while the opposition Citizens&#8217; Coalition for Change (CCC) leader Nelson Chamisa got 44%, the election commission said on Saturday.



Chamisa said on Sunday the CCC would not accept the results.



He said the opposition would form the new government, without giving details. He did not answer questions on whether his party would challenge the results in court.



“We will not wait for five years. There has to be a change now,” Chamisa told journalists and party officials.



Two observers&#8217; groups said police raided their data centres and arrested staff and volunteers so they could not independently verify the results.



The Election Resource Centre and the Zimbabwe Election Support Network said in a statement that this “cast a shadow over the entire election process&#8221;. The police were not immediately available for comment.



Observers from regional body SADC and from the African Union also criticised the election process.



Analysts and observers said the contest was heavily skewed in favour of the ZANU-PF ruling party, which has been in power for more than four decades. ZANU-PF denies it has an unfair advantage or seeks to influence the outcome of elections through rigging.



Chamisa, speaking on social media platform X, formerly Twitter, said of the election: &#8220;It&#8217;s a blatant and gigantic fraud.&#8221;



He indicated he was counting on diplomatic pressure on the government.



&#8220;Do not leave us, particularly our fellow brothers and sisters in the region and on the continent,” he said. “We count on your solidarity as we seek to resolve this political crisis.”



Mnangagwa&nbsp;first became president&nbsp;when longtime strongman Robert Mugabe was toppled in a 2017 military coup after 37 years in power. Mnangagwa&#8217;s&nbsp;first term was marked by runaway inflation, currency shortages and sky-high unemployment.



Mnangagwa welcomed the result.



&#8220;I competed with them and I am happy that I have won the race,&#8221; he said at State House on Sunday amid heavy police presence in parts of the capital.



&#8220;Those who feel the race was not run properly should know where to go to.&#8221;



This is Mnangagwa’s second and possibly last term as the constitution limits presidential terms to two.



ZANU-PF spokesman Christopher Mutswangwa said the party, which mustered 136 of 209 seats in the parliamentary elections, was shy of a two-thirds majority.



“We will concentrate more on governance than probably trying to amend the constitution,” he told journalists on Sunday.



Term limits are a contentious issue in the southern African country given the length of Mugabe&#8217;s rule.



(Reporting by Nyasha Chingono, Additional reporting by Nelson Banya, Writing by Carien du Plessis, Editing by Bhargav Acharya and Nick Macfie, Kirsten Donovan)

Zimbabwe president denies poll fraud as opposition rejects his re-election

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="613" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/RIELM4GLH5MVFJ5WWSKVIFDXJM-820x613.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-427016" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/RIELM4GLH5MVFJ5WWSKVIFDXJM-820x613.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/RIELM4GLH5MVFJ5WWSKVIFDXJM-300x224.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/RIELM4GLH5MVFJ5WWSKVIFDXJM-120x90.jpg 120w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/RIELM4GLH5MVFJ5WWSKVIFDXJM-768x574.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/RIELM4GLH5MVFJ5WWSKVIFDXJM-1536x1148.jpg 1536w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/RIELM4GLH5MVFJ5WWSKVIFDXJM-scaled.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">People queue to withdraw money from a local bank in central Harare, Zimbabwe, August 24, 2023. REUTERS/Philimon Bulawayo</figcaption></figure>



HARARE, Aug 25 (Reuters)&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;Early parliamentary results in Zimbabwe showed the ruling party and the main opposition neck and neck on Friday, after an election in which President Emmerson Mnangagwa&#8217;s ZANU-PF party was widely expected to maintain its 43-year grip on power.



Presidential results have yet to be announced after Wednesday&#8217;s vote, which was extended into Thursday in some neighbourhoods due to late printing of ballot papers.



Mnangagwa, 80, is seeking re-election at a time when the southern African country is grappling with soaring inflation and high unemployment, with many Zimbabweans reliant on dollar remittances from relatives abroad to make ends meet.



His main challenger is 45-year-old lawyer and pastor Nelson Chamisa.



Zimbabwe&#8217;s chances of resolving a debt crisis and obtaining World Bank and International Monetary Fund loans are at stake, as foreign lenders have said a free and fair vote is a pre-condition for any meaningful talks.



The government and the electoral commission have promised a clean election, but some political analysts have said it is likely to be heavily skewed in Mnangagwa&#8217;s favour, based on his party&#8217;s history of using state institutions to manipulate results.



Police sealed off roads around the election results centre on Friday morning, and members of the public were being stopped for questioning, a Reuters reporter in the capital Harare said.



ZANU-PF secretary for finance Patrick Chinamasa told reporters late on Thursday that the ruling party was on course to achieve a two-thirds majority in the National Assembly.



However, results announced so far by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission showed ZANU-PF winning 38 parliamentary constituencies and the main opposition party Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) winning 32, out of a total of 210 single-member constituencies.



The early results showed ZANU-PF retaining its rural base, while the CCC captured the urban vote, as has been the case in previous elections.



In the highest-profile loss yet for the ruling party, the electoral commission said on Friday that Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube had lost his parliamentary contest to a CCC challenger.



Results from the presidential election are expected within five days of voting.



ZANU-PF&#8217;s Chinamasa said the party was &#8220;on target&#8221; to achieve 60-65% for President Mnangagwa, and dismissed Chamisa&#8217;s claim that he was leading in the polls as &#8220;day-dreaming&#8221;.



Mnangagwa took over from longtime strongman Robert Mugabe after a 2017 coup and won a disputed election in 2018.



(Reporting by Nelson Banya and Nyasha Chingono; Writing by Bhargav Acharya and Nellie Peyton; Editing by Alexander Winning and Devika Syamnath)

People queue to withdraw money from a local bank in central Harare

Zimbabwe braces for close election as early parliamentary results come in

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="572" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/HFB7544T2RMOJANSJ4EG23IUAI-820x572.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-426975" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/HFB7544T2RMOJANSJ4EG23IUAI-820x572.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/HFB7544T2RMOJANSJ4EG23IUAI-300x209.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/HFB7544T2RMOJANSJ4EG23IUAI-129x90.jpg 129w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/HFB7544T2RMOJANSJ4EG23IUAI-768x536.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/HFB7544T2RMOJANSJ4EG23IUAI-1536x1071.jpg 1536w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/HFB7544T2RMOJANSJ4EG23IUAI-scaled.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Locals wait to cast their votes during the Zimbabwe general elections in Kwekwe, outside Harare, Zimbabwe August 23, 2023. REUTERS/Siphiwe Sibeko</figcaption></figure>



HARARE, Aug 23 (Reuters)&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;Zimbabwe has extended voting in selected&nbsp;wards&nbsp;by a day after the late distribution of ballot papers delayed polling, according to a presidential decree issued late Wednesday.



Voters in the southern&nbsp;African country waited for hours to vote on Wednesday, saying they were&nbsp;hungry for change&nbsp;from&nbsp;economic chaos, but analysts were sceptical that the ruling ZANU-PF party would allow a credible election or any loosening of its stranglehold on power.



According to Zimbabwean law, voting is supposed to take place within one day.



The presidential notice listed 40 wards it said were affected by the delays. Although the named areas make up less than 1% of the country&#8217;s 12,374 wards, they include 11 wards in the capital Harare, which has the highest number of registered voters.



According a notice&nbsp;from President Emmerson Mnangagwa announcing the extra day, the affected wards are in three of Zimbabwe’s 10 provinces &#8211; opposition stronghold Harare, Mashonaland Central, where the ruling party is traditionally dominant, and Manicaland, which is a key battleground.



Mnangagwa is seeking re-election after a first term during which runaway inflation, currency shortages and sky-high unemployment left many Zimbabweans reliant on dollar remittances from relatives abroad to make ends meet.



Mnangagwa, 80, took over when longtime strongman Robert Mugabe was toppled in a 2017 military coup. He faces 10 other candidates, including his main challenger, lawyer and pastor&nbsp;Nelson Chamisa, 45, of the Citizens Coalition for Change.



&#8220;I am expecting change. We are struggling and hungry,&#8221; said Mabel Fambi, 67, who cares for five of her grandchildren because their parents cannot find jobs. She was waiting to cast her ballot in the Kuwadzana constituency in the capital Harare.



In Harare and the country&#8217;s second biggest city Bulawayo, both opposition strongholds, a significant number of polling stations opened hours late, forcing voters to wait for most of the day.



&#8220;I see this delay as a deliberate attempt to disenfranchise me,&#8221; said Fortune Sikireta, who had been waiting to vote since dawn at Maranatha Christian High School in the middle-income Harare suburb of Tynwald. By late afternoon he had yet to vote but was determined to see it through.



The electoral commission blamed the delays on late printing of ballot papers caused by court challenges, saying in a morning statement that only 23% of Harare&#8217;s polling stations had opened on time.



Few or no delays were reported in other parts of the country.



Analysts said that, as in previous Zimbabwean elections, ZANU-PF, which has been in power for 43 years, had been using state institutions to ensure it would stay in power.



&#8220;The electoral playing field is heavily skewed in favour of the ruling party,&#8221; said private firm&nbsp;Africa&nbsp;Risk Consulting.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-little-change-since-mugabe-era">LITTLE CHANGE SINCE MUGABE ERA</h2>



Zimbabwe&#8217;s chances of resolving a debt crisis and obtaining World Bank and International Monetary Fund loans are at stake, as foreign lenders have said a free and fair election is a pre-condition for any meaningful talks.



&#8220;We want change. We want a younger president,&#8221; said shoe mender Jonathan Darare, 47, who came out early to vote in Kuwadzana.



Polls had been scheduled to open at 7 a.m. (0500 GMT) and close at 7 p.m., with some 6.6 million people registered to vote in the nation of about 15 million. Parliamentary results are expected to trickle in on Thursday morning. The presidential result is expected later, though well ahead of a five-day deadline.



Chamisa was mobbed by supporters chanting his name as he arrived to vote in Kuwadzana. He predicted he would win but said the ruling party and the electoral commission would seek to deny him his victory.



&#8220;Funny games or no funny games, our victory is certain. We are going to continue to insist on a credible election and making sure we have a legitimate result out of this election,&#8221; he said.



The government and the electoral commission have said the election would be free and fair.



Mnangagwa voted at Sherwood Primary School in the city of Kwekwe.



The Zimbabwe dollar has fallen by about 85% since the start of 2023 and inflation has reached triple digits, pushing people deeper into poverty in a nation where only 30% hold formal jobs.



&#8220;Five years into Mnangagwa&#8217;s rule, conditions have not changed much from the Mugabe era,&#8221; said&nbsp;Africa&nbsp;Risk Consulting.



The Economist Intelligence Unit predicted Mnangagwa and ZANU-PF would win by a narrower margin and not by fair means, raising the risk of disputes over the results and public protests.



To win the presidency, a candidate must get more than 50% of the vote. If there is no outright winner, a run-off between the top two candidates will be held on Oct. 2.



Parliamentary and local council candidates only need a simple majority of votes cast.



(Writing by Estelle Shirbon; Editing by Olivia Kumwenda-Mtambo, Giles Elgood, Tomasz Janowski, William Maclean and Jonathan Oatis)

Zimbabwe general elections

Zimbabwe sets extra day of voting in selected wards after delays

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="547" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/IQMT7SFA2RNQLAQHUEOA2VEMMQ-820x547.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-423556" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/IQMT7SFA2RNQLAQHUEOA2VEMMQ-820x547.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/IQMT7SFA2RNQLAQHUEOA2VEMMQ-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/IQMT7SFA2RNQLAQHUEOA2VEMMQ-135x90.jpg 135w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/IQMT7SFA2RNQLAQHUEOA2VEMMQ-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/IQMT7SFA2RNQLAQHUEOA2VEMMQ-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/IQMT7SFA2RNQLAQHUEOA2VEMMQ-scaled.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Illustration photo shows a two-rand coin above a South African flag April 12, 2017. REUTERS/Thomas White/Illustration</figcaption></figure>



Aug 23 (Reuters)&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;Most emerging market currencies were subdued on Wednesday with investors cautious ahead of the U.S. Federal Reserve chair&#8217;s speech this week, while South&nbsp;Africa&#8217;s rand rallied after data showed inflation slowed in&nbsp;Africa&#8217;s largest economy.



The MSCI&#8217;s index for EM currencies&nbsp;.MIEM00000CUS&nbsp;was flat at 0900 GMT, while the stocks index&nbsp;.MSCIEF&nbsp;inched 0.1% higher.



The South African randZAR= extended gains to a fifth straight day against the dollar and was last up 0.6%, after headline consumer inflation fell to 4.7% year-on-year in July from 5.4% in June.



&#8220;While Deputy Governor Tshazibana said that it&#8217;s not &#8216;a solid pause&#8217; when the South&nbsp;African Reserve Bank (SARB) left the policy rate unchanged at 8.25% in July, it&#8217;s reasonable to argue that finding a majority for more rate hikes could be even more difficult when the SARB meets on Sept. 21,&#8221; said Piotr Matys, senior FX analyst at In Touch Capital Markets.



South Africa and China also signed deals covering emissions technology, electricity transmission and distribution, and nuclear power on the sidelines of a summit in Johannesburg where leaders of the BRICS nations &#8211; Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa &#8211; are meeting.



This is part of the government&#8217;s efforts to end record power cuts, with Electricity Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa saying one of the deals would see Chinese companies share technology to help South&nbsp;Africa&#8217;s struggling state utility Eskom cut emissions from its coal-fired power plants.



The Russian roubleRUBUTSTN=MCX weakened against the dollar, ahead of three OFZ treasury bond auctions, while oil major Lukoil&#8217;s sharesLKOH.MM shed 1% after Tuesday&#8217;s sharp gains on a report that it could buy back a chunk of shares at a 50% discount.



The BRICS summit could impact Russian assets, especially as member states look to boost the use of their local currencies.



Also on top of the agenda at this year&#8217;s summit is a potential expansion of the bloc, with some hoping to forge it into a counterweight to Western dominance of global institutions.



The New Development Bank of the BRICS group of nations is registering an Indian rupee bond programme worth $2.5 billion over 5 years, its CFO Leslie Maasdorp said during a panel discussion



China&#8217;s blue-chip CSI 300 Index .CSI300 and the Shanghai Composite Index .SSEC fell more than 1% each as investors stayed cautious amid a deepening crisis in the country&#8217;s real estate sector and as a raft of share buybacks did little to boost confidence.



Chinese President Xi Jinping said on Tuesday at the BRICS summit that China&#8217;s economy was resilient and that the fundamentals for its long-term growth remained unchanged.



Also in focus, Argentine Economy Minister Sergio Massa said he expects the International Monetary Fund (IMF) board to approve the latest reviews of its huge loan program on Wednesday, unlocking $7.5 billion that the embattled country desperately needs.



Investors eyed a rate decision by Zambia&#8217;s central bank later in the day. 



(Reporting by Bansari Mayur Kamdar in Bengaluru; Editing by Devika Syamnath)

Illustration photo of South African rand

South African rand rises for fifth day after inflation data

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="547" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Zimbabweans-vote-but-hopes-of-ending-economic-freefall-appear-dim-820x547.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-426934" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Zimbabweans-vote-but-hopes-of-ending-economic-freefall-appear-dim-820x547.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Zimbabweans-vote-but-hopes-of-ending-economic-freefall-appear-dim-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Zimbabweans-vote-but-hopes-of-ending-economic-freefall-appear-dim-135x90.jpg 135w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Zimbabweans-vote-but-hopes-of-ending-economic-freefall-appear-dim-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Zimbabweans-vote-but-hopes-of-ending-economic-freefall-appear-dim-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Zimbabweans-vote-but-hopes-of-ending-economic-freefall-appear-dim-scaled.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">People queue to cast their vote in a general election at Kuwadzana school in Harare, Zimbabwe, August 23, 2023. REUTERS/Philimon Bulawayo</figcaption></figure>



HARARE, Aug 23 (Reuters) &#8211; Zimbabweans voted on Wednesday with many citizens desperate for change after two decades of relentless economic chaos but sceptical that the ruling ZANU-PF party will allow a credible election or any loosening of its stranglehold on power.



President Emmerson Mnangagwa is seeking re-election after a first term during which runaway inflation, currency shortages and sky-high unemployment made life a misery for Zimbabweans, many of whom rely on U.S. dollar remittances from relatives abroad to make ends meet.



The cash-strapped country&#8217;s chances of resolving a debt crisis that prevents it from accessing World Bank and International Monetary Fund loans are at stake, as foreign lenders have said a free and fair election is a pre-condition for any meaningful talks on the issue.



Mnangagwa, who took over when longtime strongman Robert Mugabe was toppled in a 2017 military coup, faces 10 other candidates including his main challenger, lawyer and pastor Nelson Chamisa of the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC).



It is the second contest between the two after Mnangagwa won a closely contested poll in 2018, which the opposition alleged was rigged. The country&#8217;s constitutional court upheld Mnangagwa&#8217;s election.



Polls opened at 7 a.m. (0500 GMT) and were due to close at 7 p.m. (1700 GMT). Some 6.6 million people are registered to vote in the nation of about 15 million.



At Sherwood Primary School in the city of Kwekwe, where Mnangagwa is registered to vote and will cast his ballot later, dozens of voters lined up from 6 a.m. and chatted in hushed tones waiting for voting to start.



Communal farmer Beatrice Sibanda, 65, said: &#8220;I want a better life for my children. They need jobs. I hope that after voting life will become better.&#8221;



In the capital Harare, in the Kuwadzana constituency where Chamisa will vote, people also said they were hungry for change.



&#8220;We are struggling and hungry. I have five grand-children that I am taking care of. I&#8217;m fortunate that I own a house and can shelter them as their fathers don&#8217;t work,&#8221; said Mabel Fambi, a 67-year-old grandmother.



Vote-counting will start as soon as polling stations close, and parliamentary results are expected to trickle in over the course of Thursday morning. The presidential result is expected to come later, though well ahead of a five-day deadline.



LITTLE CHANGE SINCE MUGABE ERA



Political analysts say Zimbabwe&#8217;s unending economic maelstrom could tip the contest in favour of the opposition if the election is clean.



The local currency has weakened by about 85% since the start of the year and inflation has reached triple digit levels, pushing people further into poverty in a country where only 30% hold formal jobs.



But analysts say ZANU-PF, which has been in power for more than four decades, has an unfair advantage as it wields control over the police and other key institutions.



&#8220;The electoral playing field is heavily skewed in favour of the ruling party, which has used state institutions to close the democratic space,&#8221; said Africa Risk Consulting, a private firm, in a pre-election note.



&#8220;Five years into Mnangagwa&#8217;s rule, conditions have not changed much from the Mugabe era,&#8221; it said.



ZANU-PF and the police deny seeking to influence the outcome.



&#8220;I have told the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission that what happened in 2018 cannot be repeated. We will not accept a rigged vote,&#8221; Chamisa said at his last campaign rally on Monday.



Mnangagwa has repeatedly called for peace and tolerance in his campaign speeches.



&#8220;We will deal with those who want to perpetrate violence,&#8221; he told supporters on Saturday in Shurugwi, more than 300 km (190 miles) south of Harare.



To win the presidency, a candidate must get more than 50% of the vote. If there is no outright winner, a run-off between the top two candidates will be held on Oct. 2.



Parliamentary and local council candidates only need a simple majority of votes cast.



(Editing by Olivia Kumwenda-Mtambo, Estelle Shirbon and Giles Elgood)

People queue to cast their vote in a general election in Harare

Zimbabweans vote but hopes of ending economic freefall appear dim

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="526" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/UNXPTNGYARKUTLTTXSEHAFTDMI-1-820x526.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-426860" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/UNXPTNGYARKUTLTTXSEHAFTDMI-1-820x526.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/UNXPTNGYARKUTLTTXSEHAFTDMI-1-300x192.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/UNXPTNGYARKUTLTTXSEHAFTDMI-1-140x90.jpg 140w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/UNXPTNGYARKUTLTTXSEHAFTDMI-1-768x492.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/UNXPTNGYARKUTLTTXSEHAFTDMI-1-1536x985.jpg 1536w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/UNXPTNGYARKUTLTTXSEHAFTDMI-1-scaled.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Smoke rises from chimneys at Hwange Power station in Hwange, Zimbabwe, October 19, 2021. Picture taken October 19, 2021 REUTERS/Philimon Bulawayo</figcaption></figure>



HARARE, Aug 18 (Reuters)&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;Zimbabwe will allow developers of carbon credits to keep as much as 70% of the proceeds for the first decade of the project, with 30% paid as an environmental levy, the government said in regulations published on Friday.



Environment minister Mangaliso Ndlovu moved against what he called &#8220;climate washing&#8221; in May, saying the government would take 50% of carbon project revenue, with 20% on top of that going to communities, in a move that surprised global markets.



The government said at the time that carbon credit projects were largely unregulated and needed to be registered with authorities within two months.



The global $2 billion voluntary carbon offset market involves companies buying credits from emission-reducing projects such as renewable energy or tree planting to offset their own emissions.



&#8220;All existing carbon credit projects deemed null and void shall be given 60 days&#8230; to comply with the provisions,&#8221; the new regulations document said.



&#8220;From the eleventh year of the project, the share of proceeds shall be renegotiated taking into account the prevailing circumstances,&#8221; it said.



The government did not immediately comment on the latest regulations.



(Reporting by Nyasha Chingono; Writing by Rachel Savage; Editing by Mark Potter)

Smoke rises from chimneys at Hwange Power station in Hwange

Zimbabwe to take 30% of carbon credit revenue

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="528" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/AYCWBU7S55KA3CCVAX27AQTKOM-820x528.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-426524" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/AYCWBU7S55KA3CCVAX27AQTKOM-820x528.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/AYCWBU7S55KA3CCVAX27AQTKOM-300x193.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/AYCWBU7S55KA3CCVAX27AQTKOM-140x90.jpg 140w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/AYCWBU7S55KA3CCVAX27AQTKOM-768x494.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/AYCWBU7S55KA3CCVAX27AQTKOM-1536x989.jpg 1536w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/AYCWBU7S55KA3CCVAX27AQTKOM-scaled.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">A worker arrives at the Jwaneng diamond mine,operated by Debswana, a joint venture between Anglo American unit De Beers and the Botswana government outside Gaborone,Botswana, file. REUTERS/Siphiwe Sibeko</figcaption></figure>



GABORONE, Aug 1 (Reuters)&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;The sale of rough diamonds at Botswana&#8217;s Debswana Diamond Co fell 17% in the first six months of the year, data released by the central bank showed, amid a weak market underpinned by global macroeconomic uncertainty.



Debswana, a joint venture of Botswana and Anglo American Plc&#8217;s&nbsp;AAL.L&nbsp;unit De Beers, sells 75% of its output to De Beers with the balance taken up by state-owned Okavango Diamond Co.



Botswana and De Beers in late June agreed a new diamond sales deal in which the African country, the world&#8217;s No. 1 diamond producer by value, gradually increases the share of rough stones it gets from the joint venture over the next decade to 50%.



In the first half of the year, Debswana sold diamonds worth $2.179 billion from $2.622 billion in the same period last year, the Bank of Botswana said late on Monday.



In pula terms, the rough sales recorded an 8% fall to 28.621 billion pula, with central bank data showing the local currency depreciated 8.4% against the dollar in the 12 months to June.



Debswana, which produced 12.7 million carats in the first six months, accounts for almost all the diamonds produced in Botswana, with Lucara Diamond Corp&#8217;s&nbsp;LUC.TO&nbsp;Karowe mine being the only other operating diamond mine in the country.



(Reporting by Brian Benza, Editing by Bhargav Acharya and Bernadette Baum)

A worker arrives at the Jwaneng diamond mine

Diamond sales at Botswana’s Debswana slump 17% on weak demand

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="547" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/MYHR4EK3BVNK3D54C5ZDXA52RQ-820x547.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-426459" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/MYHR4EK3BVNK3D54C5ZDXA52RQ-820x547.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/MYHR4EK3BVNK3D54C5ZDXA52RQ-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/MYHR4EK3BVNK3D54C5ZDXA52RQ-135x90.jpg 135w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/MYHR4EK3BVNK3D54C5ZDXA52RQ-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/MYHR4EK3BVNK3D54C5ZDXA52RQ-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/MYHR4EK3BVNK3D54C5ZDXA52RQ-scaled.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">FILE PHOTO: Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa attends a joint press conference with Iran&#8217;s President Ebrahim Raisi (not pictured) at the State House in Harare, Zimbabwe, on July 13, 2023. Iran&#8217;s Presidency/Mohammad Javad Ostad/WANA (West Asia News Agency)/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo</figcaption></figure>



July 27 (Reuters)&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa said on Thursday that his country was food-secure but was grateful for an offer of free grain from Russian President Vladimir Putin at a Russia-Africa summit in St Petersburg.



&#8220;We are grateful,&#8221; Mnangagwa told reporters&nbsp;at the summit. &#8220;We are not in any grain deficit at all. We are food-secure, he is just adding to what we are already have.&#8221;



Putin earlier told the summit that Russia was ready, in the next three to four months, to supply up to 50,000 tonnes of free grain to each of Zimbabwe, Burkina Faso, Mali, Somalia, Central African Republic and Eritrea.



Putin told African leaders that Russia would continue to meet their food needs despite last week pulling out of a deal that had allowed Ukraine &#8211; another top grain exporter &#8211; to ship cereals from its Black Sea ports despite the war.



Since then, Russia has repeatedly bombed Ukrainian ports and food storage sites. Western governments accuse Putin of &#8220;weaponising&#8221; food as an instrument of war.



In his speech, Putin set out his reasons for quitting the deal, which he said was not getting grain to the poorest countries. He did not acknowledge the fact that it had substantially lowered world prices, which have risen again sharply since Russia walked out of the agreement.



Russia&#8217;s state RIA news agency quoted the Ugandan foreign minister as saying Russia&#8217;s decision to end the deal was understandable.



Sawadogo Mahamadi, head of Burkina Faso&#8217;s chamber of commerce and industry, called the Russian food offer &#8220;a very good thing&#8221;.



&#8220;Africa needs these vital products today,&#8221; he said, &#8220;especially the Sahel countries like Burkina Faso that are facing security and humanitarian threats.&#8221;



(Reporting by Reuters, writing by Mark Trevelyan; Editing by Kevin Liffey)

Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi visits Zimbabwe

Zimbabwean president says country has food but grateful for Putin grain offer

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="625" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/O6ODW4MUXVPR5J7QYHBQV3JQY4-820x625.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-426397" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/O6ODW4MUXVPR5J7QYHBQV3JQY4-820x625.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/O6ODW4MUXVPR5J7QYHBQV3JQY4-300x229.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/O6ODW4MUXVPR5J7QYHBQV3JQY4-118x90.jpg 118w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/O6ODW4MUXVPR5J7QYHBQV3JQY4-768x585.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/O6ODW4MUXVPR5J7QYHBQV3JQY4-1536x1170.jpg 1536w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/O6ODW4MUXVPR5J7QYHBQV3JQY4-scaled.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">FILE PHOTO: Opposition Movement For Democratic Change (MDC) party leader Nelson Chamisa gestures while addressing the media in a news conference in Harare, Zimbabwe August 25, 2018. REUTERS/Philimon Bulawayo/File Photo</figcaption></figure>



HARARE, July 25 (Reuters)&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;Zimbabwe will hold presidential and parliamentary elections on Aug. 23.



A dozen candidates are vying to be the country&#8217;s next president but the main contest is between incumbent Emmerson Mnangagwa, who is seeking a second term and leads the ruling ZANU-PF party, and Nelson Chamisa, of the new Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC).



Here are some details of the two leading candidates.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-emmerson-mnangagwa">EMMERSON MNANGAGWA</h2>



The 80-year-old Mnangagwa came to power after a 2017 military coup which toppled long time ruler Robert Mugabe.



Until their fall-out in the months leading up to the coup, Mnangagwa was one of Mugabe&#8217;s closest lieutenants and served in various top government roles including as vice president and minister of state security.



Nicknamed &#8220;the Crocodile&#8221;, an animal famed in Zimbabwean lore for its stealth and ruthlessness, Mnangagwa has been accused by opponents of being Mugabe&#8217;s political enforcer as the late ruler cracked down on dissent. Mnangagwa denies those charges.



Mnangagwa, trained as a communist guerrilla in China in the 1960s, was in charge of internal security in the mid-1980s when Mugabe deployed a North Korean-trained brigade against rebels loyal to his rival Joshua Nkomo.



Rights groups say 20,000 civilians, mostly from the Ndebele tribe, were killed in what has become known as the massacres of Gukurahundi.



Mnangagwa denies responsibility, but as president he engaged traditional leaders of communities affected by the massacres to discuss matters including compensation, reconciliation and healing.



Mnangagwa fashions himself as pro-business and, within months of coming to power, scrapped a local business ownership law championed by Mugabe. The law, which required foreign-owned businesses including mines to sell majority stakes to locals, unsettled investors who held back investment.



However, critics say the economic turnaround Mnangagwa promised five years ago remains elusive.



Mnangagwa has said his government has created opportunities for locals in the economy with policies supporting their involvement in sectors such as mining and agriculture.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">NELSON CHAMISA</h2>



Chamisa transitioned from being a student leader who led anti-government protests over college fees into national politics in 1999, when the late politician Morgan Tsvangirai spearheaded the formation of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) to mount the most serious challenge to ZANU-PF&#8217;s stranglehold on power.



A lawyer and pastor by training, the 45-year-old Chamisa became Zimbabwe&#8217;s youngest ever presidential candidate in 2018 when he narrowly lost to Mnangagwa.



Chamisa is credited with reviving the opposition in Zimbabwe after a major split in the camp in 2018 following Tsvangirai&#8217;s death that had weakened it.



After losing a bruising legal battle to a rival MDC faction, Chamisa changed the name of his camp to the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC). The CCC immediately established itself as the main challenger to ZANU-PF after winning the most seats in parliamentary by-elections held in March 2022.



Chamisa served as a government minister, responsible for information and communication technology between 2009 and 2013, after Mugabe agreed to share power with the opposition following a disputed election in 2008.



He has pledged to grow Zimbabwe&#8217;s economy, fight corruption and end Zimbabwe&#8217;s isolation. A CCC government would impose fiscal discipline, restore respect for human and property rights and attract investment, Chamisa says.



Critics say Chamisa has a penchant for outlandish election promises, including grand infrastructure projects, but is short on details of how he would fund them.



Although he poses a threat to ZANU-PF, his campaign has faced hurdles with the police routinely stopping opposition rallies.



(Reporting by Nelson Banya and Nyasha Chingono; Editing by Olivia Kumwenda-Mtambo and Christina Fincher)

FILE PHOTO: Opposition Movement For Democratic Change (MDC) party leader Nelson Chamisa gestures while addressing the media in a news conference in Harare

Leading candidates in Zimbabwe presidential election

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="558" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Q7JLQ4HGHNJ35KKCJBXFPSN3O4-820x558.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-426272" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Q7JLQ4HGHNJ35KKCJBXFPSN3O4-820x558.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Q7JLQ4HGHNJ35KKCJBXFPSN3O4-300x204.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Q7JLQ4HGHNJ35KKCJBXFPSN3O4-132x90.jpg 132w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Q7JLQ4HGHNJ35KKCJBXFPSN3O4-768x523.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Q7JLQ4HGHNJ35KKCJBXFPSN3O4-1536x1046.jpg 1536w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Q7JLQ4HGHNJ35KKCJBXFPSN3O4-scaled.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Zimbabwe&#8217;s President Emmerson Mnangagwa attends the event to commission the Prospect Lithium mine and processing plant in Goromonzi, Zimbabwe July 5, 2023. REUTERS/Philimon Bulawayo</figcaption></figure>



HARARE, July 19 (Reuters)&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;Zimbabwe will hold presidential and parliamentary elections on Aug. 23, with the southern African country&#8217;s extended economic crisis and accusations of a government crackdown against its opponents expected to once again take centre stage.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-who-is-running">WHO IS RUNNING?</h2>



There are 11 candidates vying for the presidency. However, the key contest is between incumbent Emmerson Mnangagwa, 80, from the governing ZANU-PF party, and Nelson Chamisa, 45, of the opposition Citizen&#8217;s Coalition for Change (CCC).



Mnangagwa, a former spy chief who took over after longtime leader Robert Mugabe was toppled in a 2017 military coup, is seeking a second term after narrowly defeating Chamisa in a disputed 2018 election.



Political analysts say the race is tilted in favour of Mnangagwa and ZANU-PF, which has governed Zimbabwe since 1980 and looks set to exploit its control of state institutions to retain power. State media give little airtime to the opposition, and police routinely stop its campaign rallies.



The CCC hopes growing frustration over ZANU-PF&#8217;s mishandling of the economy will help tilt the scale in its favour.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">WHAT ARE THE MAIN ISSUES?</h2>



The economy remains the top electoral issue in mineral-rich Zimbabwe. Hopes that it would rebound under Mnangagwa quickly faded, leaving citizens grappling with acute shortages of electricity and soaring prices.



Year-on-year inflation reached 176% in June, among the highest in the world.



The Zimbabwe dollar, reintroduced by Mnangagwa in 2019 after a decade of dollarisation, has depreciated by more than 80% this year.



Unemployment remains very high, an important electoral issue for young people under the age 35, who make up 70% of the population.



Zimbabwe has also struggled to attract international capital to revamp its infrastructure and sectors such as manufacturing, tourism and mining, due to its $14 billion foreign debt, nearly half of which is in arrears.



To clear the debt, mostly owed to multilateral financiers and bilateral lenders, Zimbabwe needs to normalise ties with western nations, something Mnangagwa has struggled with, despite early promises to pursue a different course to his predecessor Mugabe.



Zimbabwe fell out with the west in 2000 over rights abuses, disputed elections and the violent seizure of white-owned farms. Western governments say Mnangagwa has not implemented enough reforms to justify full restoration of ties and financial support.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">WHAT DO THE CANDIDATES OFFER?</h2>



Mnangagwa, whose campaign speeches are often punctuated with nationalist rhetoric reminiscent of the African independence struggles, says his government has created opportunities for locals in the economy with policies supporting their involvement in sectors such as mining and agriculture.



Chamisa, on the other hand, says Mnangagwa&#8217;s policies favour a small connected elite. He pledges to grow the economy, fight corruption and end Zimbabwe&#8217;s isolation. A CCC government would impose fiscal discipline, restore respect for human and property rights and attract investment, Chamisa says.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">HOW WILL THE ELECTION WORK?</h2>



Some 6.6 million people are registered to vote in this year&#8217;s poll, more than the 5.7 million registered in 2018, the electoral commission has said.



To win the presidency, a candidate must get more than 50% of the vote. If there is no outright winner, a run-off between the top two candidates will be held on Oct. 2.



Parliamentary and local council candidates only need a simple majority of votes cast.



Despite a sizeable population living outside the country, mostly in neighbouring South Africa, Zimbabwe does not allow its citizens to vote abroad.



(Reporting by Nelson Banya and Nyasha Chingono; Editing by Olivia Kumwenda-Mtambo and David Holmes)

What you need to know about Zimbabwe’s 2023 election

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="547" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/5DSIOVXMUFLQ5NBH22D3TKPXYU-820x547.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-425151" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/5DSIOVXMUFLQ5NBH22D3TKPXYU-820x547.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/5DSIOVXMUFLQ5NBH22D3TKPXYU-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/5DSIOVXMUFLQ5NBH22D3TKPXYU-135x90.jpg 135w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/5DSIOVXMUFLQ5NBH22D3TKPXYU-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/5DSIOVXMUFLQ5NBH22D3TKPXYU-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/5DSIOVXMUFLQ5NBH22D3TKPXYU-scaled.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">FILE PHOTO: President of the Republic of Botswana, Mokgweetsi Eric Keabetswe Masisi, speaks prior to the official talks with the delegation members of Switzerland and Botswana, in Bern, Switzerland, May 1, 2023. Peter Klaunzer/Keystone/Pool via REUTERS/</figcaption></figure>



Botswana’s President Mokgweetsi Masisi says he told negotiators of Anglo American unit De Beers to walk if they didn’t like the terms of the revised mining partnership with Africa’s largest diamond producer in tough talks that were concluded earlier this month.



The parties eventually agreed to extend their 54-year sales partnership by 10 years with De Beers, the world’s largest diamond company, getting a 25-year mining license. Botswana got 30 percent of all output and will receive half in the last year of the agreement versus 25 percent in the previous deal.



&#8220;We had to rebalance this and so I looked at them in the eye and said we are not doing this anymore. It stops here,’’ Masisi told CNBC Africa at last week’s U.S.-Africa Business Summit in the capital Gaborone. &#8220;I told them we don’t want the deal we have. We are going to have a new deal.’’



Diamond prices dropped more than 6 percent in the first half of the year, amid competition from the synthetic diamonds industry and sluggish global demand.



De Beers CEO, Al Cook, told Reuters last week the deal benefitted both parties.



President Masisi said De Beers would also contribute up to $750 million over the next decade to help fund efforts to diversify Botswana’s economy from diamonds which currently contribute20 percent of the nation’s gross domestic product and two thirds of foreign exchange earnings.



&#8220;We have committed to a knowledge economy. We have committed to create wealth using our intellectual capital. We have learnt about marketing enough. We know where the markets are. We know what the potential is, and we are going to want a part of it,’’ Masisi said. &#8220;Poor souls they didn’t have a choice. Now we are in the control seat.’’



Calling for beneficiation of Africa’s raw materials, Masisi said the continent through the Africa Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) wanted to change the way it traded with the rest of the world and within its borders.



&#8220;Africa doesn’t want to participate as it has been traditionally known to participate by generating raw materials and exporting them raw. Africa does not want to do business like it was known to do by exporting out of Africa more than it exported among the countries in Africa,’’ he said. &#8220;We are in the business of value adding. We are in the business of intra-Africa trade and Botswana is a keen player at that. ‘’



The 54-member AfCFTA seeks to boost incomes by $450 billion by 2035, potentially pulling as many as 40 million people out of poverty. To date, 46 of the Africa Union’s (AU) 54 members have ratified it. The AU says the agreement will eliminate trade barriers and boost intra African trade by pushing trade in value added products across the continent.

FILE PHOTO: Botswana’s President Masisi visits Switzerland

Botswana President Says He was Ready to Walk Away from Anglo’s De Beers

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="547" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Z3DDFRZZRFNG3JFTJSIEWMG5MI-820x547.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-426223" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Z3DDFRZZRFNG3JFTJSIEWMG5MI-820x547.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Z3DDFRZZRFNG3JFTJSIEWMG5MI-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Z3DDFRZZRFNG3JFTJSIEWMG5MI-135x90.jpg 135w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Z3DDFRZZRFNG3JFTJSIEWMG5MI-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Z3DDFRZZRFNG3JFTJSIEWMG5MI-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Z3DDFRZZRFNG3JFTJSIEWMG5MI-scaled.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Zimbabwe&#8217;s main opposition party, the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) supporters sing during the a rally to celebrate the launch of the their election campaign in Gweru, Zimbabwe, July 16, 2023. REUTERS/KB Mpofu</figcaption></figure>



GWERU, Zimbabwe, July 16 (Reuters)&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;Zimbabwe&#8217;s main opposition leader Nelson Chamisa promised economic prosperity and an end to corruption as he launched his party&#8217;s campaign on Sunday for national elections set for Aug. 23.



Chamisa, who leads the opposition Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC), is running against 80-year-old President Emmerson Mnangagwa, who has led the ruling Zanu-PF since a coup ousted Robert Mugabe in 2017.



The 45-year-old politician, lawyer and pastor launched his &#8220;For Everyone&#8221; campaign in the city of Gweru, about 300km east of the capital Harare, vowing to fix the country&#8217;s unrelenting economic crises.



Chamisa lamented the lack of development in the country, saying there was little to show after 43 years of democracy.



&#8220;All we see is poverty, unemployment and millions going to the diaspora,&#8221; Chamisa told thousands of supporters gathered at a stadium in the city.



Supporters clad in the party&#8217;s yellow regalia braved chilly weather to attend the rally following sustained efforts by the police and judiciary to ban opposition party rallies.



&#8220;They have been banning our campaigns, but no one will ban us from people&#8217;s hearts,&#8221; Chamisa said to thunderous applause.



Chamisa promised to deal with endemic corruption and misuse of the country&#8217;s resources by the ruling elite, adding that the mineral-rich country should benefit all.



This is Chamisa&#8217;s second bid for the presidency and first under the banner of the CCC, which launched early last year.



In 2018, he became Zimbabwe&#8217;s youngest-ever presidential candidate, narrowly losing to incumbent Mnangagwa in the disputed poll.



Chamisa said his party would remain vigilant against electoral malpractice. &#8220;We will not accept a rigged election this time,&#8221; he said, promising other reforms including improved salaries for the civil service.



The upcoming general election is expected to be close, with both Mnangagwa and Chamisa enjoying support across the country.



Chamisa plans to take his campaign to the countryside in an effort to win over historically Zanu-PF voters.



(Reporting by Nyasha Chingono; Editing by Kopano Gumbi and David Holmes)

Zimbabwe’s opposition launch their election campaign

Zimbabwe opposition leader launches campaign with promise of prosperity

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="575" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/2YFSNLSNFRP7VNWQPEPCOAWUMU-820x575.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-425772" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/2YFSNLSNFRP7VNWQPEPCOAWUMU-820x575.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/2YFSNLSNFRP7VNWQPEPCOAWUMU-300x210.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/2YFSNLSNFRP7VNWQPEPCOAWUMU-128x90.jpg 128w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/2YFSNLSNFRP7VNWQPEPCOAWUMU-768x539.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/2YFSNLSNFRP7VNWQPEPCOAWUMU-1536x1078.jpg 1536w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/2YFSNLSNFRP7VNWQPEPCOAWUMU.jpg 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /></figure>



HARARE, June 26 (Reuters)&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;Zimbabwe&#8217;s annual inflation rose to 175.8% in June from 86.5% in May, data showed on Monday, exacerbating a pricing crisis ahead of crucial elections.



Month-on-month inflation rose by 58.8 percentage points in June to 74.5%, the Zimbabwe Statistics Agency (Zimstat) said in a media briefing.



Zimstat measures inflation using a &#8216;blended&#8217; average of both U.S. dollar and Zimdollar prices.



Economists said the government needed to move swiftly to tame inflation, despite its recent monetary and fiscal measures, which failed to build market confidence.



The Zimbabwean dollar has crashed 50% since the start of June, with parallel market rates continuing to soar, reminiscent of the 2008 hyperinflationary period when the country was forced to abandon its currency.



The local currency slumped after the government in late May announced measures to encourage its use &#8211; as opposed to the dollar &#8211; in a bid to tame inflation.



&#8220;We do not need a prophet to tell us that inflation is running away in Zimdollars. Government has lost it. The only way out is to dollarise,&#8221; economist Gift Mugano told Reuters.



The southern African country will hold presidential and parliamentary elections on Aug. 23 at a time when Zimbabweans are buckling under economic pressures.



President Emmerson Mnangagwa, who took over from Robert Mugabe in a 2017 military coup, will be seeking a second term.



&#8220;The authorities by now should have learnt that the situation requires a fundamental rethink. What effect they are doing is they are destroying the incomes of everyone earning Zimdollar,&#8221; Eddie Cross, an economist and top advisor to the president said.



(Reporting by Nyasha Chingono; Editing by Bhargav Acharya and Alex Richardson)

2YFSNLSNFRP7VNWQPEPCOAWUMU

Zimbabwe inflation doubles in June amid weakening currency

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="547" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/GettyImages-1041348292-820x547.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-420419" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/GettyImages-1041348292-820x547.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/GettyImages-1041348292-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/GettyImages-1041348292-135x90.jpg 135w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/GettyImages-1041348292-768x513.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/GettyImages-1041348292-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/GettyImages-1041348292-scaled.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">NEW YORK, NY &#8211; SEPTEMBER 26: Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa, President, Republic of Zimbabwe delivers a speech at the United Nations during the United Nations General Assembly on September 26, 2018 in New York City. World leaders are gathered for the 73rd annual meeting at the UN headquarters in Manhattan. (Photo by Stephanie Keith/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>



HARARE, June 23 (Reuters)&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;Eleven candidates will run for the Zimbabwean presidency in an August election, the electoral commission has said, after several hopefuls were disqualified for failing to raise the $20,000 needed to appear on the ballot.



The election is expected to pit Incumbent Emmerson Mnangagwa, of the ZANU-PF party, against pastor and lawyer Nelson Chamisa of the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC), who is seen as the strongest challenger.



The commission said late on Thursday that 11 hopeful candidates had been disqualified from the Aug. 23 election, several of whom, including Linda Masarira, failed to pay the $20,000 to secure a slot on the ballot by Wednesday, dashing hopes of a female candidate for the top office.



&#8220;I have been clear that the $20,000 is exorbitant, it is discriminatory in nature and violates the section that speaks to non-discrimination in the eyes of the law,&#8221; Masarira said.



Zimbabwe will vote for a new president and parliament on Aug. 23.



While Mnangagwa and Chamisa remain top contenders to revive the southern African country&#8217;s waning economic fortunes, an independent candidate for president has emerged in recent weeks.



Self-exiled Saviour Kasukuwere, a former minister in Robert Mugabe&#8217;s cabinet, will run as an independent candidate, who political analysts say is expected to attract votes in ZANU-PF strongholds.



Kasukuwere, who fled the country during a coup that deposed Mugabe, has harboured presidential ambitions before.



Mnangagwa, 80, is seeking another term amid an economic collapse, with the Zimbabwe dollar plunging more than 50% this month against the U.S. dollar.



Mnangagwa hailed the democratic process as he filed his nomination at the High Court on Wednesday.



&#8220;Countrywide the process is going very well and it shows that Zimbabwe is now a mature democracy. This process is so peaceful and that is what we want,&#8221; he said.



Chamisa, who narrowly lost the last election in 2018, has said his party is poised to take over government this time.



(Reporting by Nyasha Chingono; Editing by Bhargav Acharya)

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Southern Africa

Taiwan president arrives in Eswatini to visit last African ally

Zimbabwe opposition calls for nationwide protests over disputed vote

South Africa and US note observer concerns on Zimbabwe elections

Zimbabwe president denies poll fraud as opposition rejects his re-election

Zimbabwe braces for close election as early parliamentary results come in

Zimbabwe sets extra day of voting in selected wards after delays

South African rand rises for fifth day after inflation data

Zimbabweans vote but hopes of ending economic freefall appear dim

Zimbabwe to take 30% of carbon credit revenue

Diamond sales at Botswana’s Debswana slump 17% on weak demand

Zimbabwean president says country has food but grateful for Putin grain offer

Leading candidates in Zimbabwe presidential election

What you need to know about Zimbabwe’s 2023 election

Botswana President Says He was Ready to Walk Away from Anglo’s De Beers

Zimbabwe opposition leader launches campaign with promise of prosperity

Zimbabwe inflation doubles in June amid weakening currency

Eleven candidates to run for president in Zimbabwe

News Tips

Advertise With Us

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