President Cyril Ramaphosa and Zimbabwe President Emmerson Mnangagwa. File picture: Siyabulela Duda, GCIS
JOHANNESBURG - In spite of a widespread outcry by civil society organisations and observer missions that the recent elections in Zimbabwe were short of being free and fair, President Cyril Ramaphosa has congratulated his counterpart, Zanu-PF leader Emmerson Mnangagwa.
Ramaphosa said in a statement on Monday that the recent polls were conducted in a smooth manner in spite of the sanctions that have crippled the country’s economy.
“The Republic of South Africa congratulates the government and the people of the Republic of Zimbabwe for organising and holding the harmonised elections to elect the president, National Assembly and local government representatives, which took place on August 23 and 24.
“South Africa is conscious that these elections took place in a difficult economic environment due to the burdening sanctions that the people of Zimbabwe continue to unjustly endure,” Ramaphosa said.
He said South Africa had taken note of the preliminary pronouncements by the invited international observer missions, including the AU and the South African Development Community (SADC) observer missions.
“South Africa calls on all the parties in Zimbabwe to work in unison to sustaining peace and work towards development and shared prosperity in the country,” he said.
Opposition leader for the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) Nelson Chamisa garnered 44% of the votes during the elections, while his counterpart, Mnangagwa, won a second term as president after receiving nearly 53% of the votes.
Chamisa subsequently rejected the election results, just as international observers were also questioning their legitimacy on the grounds of fear and widespread alleged vote rigging.
However, the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) declared Mnangagwa of Zanu-PF the winner of the country’s presidential elections.
Shortly after the elections, Zanu-PF supporters celebrated the outcome while analysts and observers cried foul.
A spokesperson for the opposition party posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, slamming “any result hastily assembled without proper verification”.
Meanwhile, the elections came under heavy scrutiny by international observers, with the EU observer mission saying the voting took place in a climate of fear.
Social media users also tore into Ramaphosa for endorsing elections that have been discredited by various observers and political analysts alike.