Zimbabwe’s Mnangagwa pledges to deliver fair, transparent election

President Emmerson Mnangagwa of Zimbabwe on Friday pledged to deliver a fair and transparent election, amid the UN concerns over the alleged violations of the political rights in the African country.

Mnangagwa made the pledge on Friday at the outreach dialogue session of the BRICS Summit in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Zimbabweans will elect their new president and members of parliament on July 30.

These are the first elections to take place after a three decade rule of former President Robert Mugabe.

In November, Mugabe, who also served as prime minister, was forced to step down. Mnangagwa, the former vice president, was sworn in as Mugabe’s successor.

“Let me assure you, Your Excellencies, that all measures have been taken and put in place, for peaceful, transparent, fair and credible elections,” Mnangagwa said.

On Monday, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) expressed concern about growing number of reports of “voter intimidation, threats of violence, harassment and coercion, including people being forced to attend political rallies.”

At the same time, the OHCHR welcomed the “widening of the democratic space” in Zimbabwe ahead of the elections, such as the presence of international human rights observers.

The presidential ballot includes a record 23 names.

However, the main contenders are 75-year-old Mnangagwa from the ruling Zanu-PF party and 40-year-old Nelson Chamisa from the opposition MDC Alliance.