from MARCUS MUSHONGA in Harare, Zimbabwe
HARARE – SOME international observers are still in Zimbabwe to assess the political atmosphere following contentious elections last week.

Among monitors present are teams from the African Union (AU) and Southern African Development Community (SADC) who nonetheless endorsed the election of Emmerson Mnangagwa as president.

His main rival, Nelson Chamisa, and the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) Alliance have rejected the outcome, which also saw Mnangagwa’s Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF) secure a landslide majority in parliament.

Moussa Faki Mahamat, Chairperson of the AU Commission, said observers were in Zimbabwe as part of commitments and support to leaders and citizens in their endeavor to deepen democracy in their country.

This is in line with the AU Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance.

“The Africa Union will continue to closely follow the electoral process through its Long Term Observers who will remain in the country until the conclusion of the process,” said Mahamat.

João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço, President of Angola, and the Chairperson of the SADC Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation, also confirmed the presence of observers from the bloc, a week after Zimbabwe’s elections.

Lourenço said the SADC Electoral Observation Mission was assessing the post-election phase as part of its Long Term Election Observation mandate, in line with the revised SADC Principles and Guidelines Governing Democratic Elections (2015).

Mahamat and Lourenço appealed to leaders in Zimbabwe to ensure peace and stability.

They urged aggrieved parties to use the appropriate legal means and/or other disputes resolution mechanisms to address their concerns.

Six people were killed in Harare during clashes between protesters and the army after the elections.
– CAJ News