Pledge Zim poll will be free, fair

PEACEFUL, TRANSPARENT ELECTIONS President receives thunderous applause from audience at Brics summit.

With the ruling Zanu-PF vigorously campaigning to emerge victorious in Monday’s general elections, Zimbabwean president Emmerson Mnangagwa yesterday wasted no time when given an opportunity to address the Brics Outreach and Plus dialogue session – promising free, fair, transparent and peaceful elections in his country.

Mnangagwa was part of the core of African, Caribbean and South American leaders forming part of Brics Outreach and Plus group invited to attend and address the fledgling economic body led by Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. Brics this week committed itself to overhaul the United States-led trade policy regime of unilateralism in favour of multilateralism.

The Brics Outreach and Plus group of leaders who went into bilateral meetings after addressing a session attended by Brics leaders, represent countries that include Zambia, Botswana, Lesotho, Democratic Republic of Congo, Malawi, Senegal, Gabon, Madagascar, Argentina, Jamaica and Mozambique.

Demonstrating a departure from his predecessor Robert Mugabe – known for suppressing any dissenting political voices and rigging past elections in Zimbabwe – a confident Mnangagwa told the Brics 10th summit which ended in Sandton yesterday that Zimbabwe was “at the climax of the campaign period with only two days to go”.

Mnangagwa said: “My country goes to the polls to deepen democracy. I wish to thank all foreign observer missions currently in Zimbabwe and wish to assure all of you that all measures have been put in place to ensure free, fair, transparent and peaceful elections.”

Realising the importance of political stability as a measure used by potential investors to grow Zimbabwe’s gross domestic product through trade, Mnangagwa’s message of free elections was well received with a thunderous applause from the audience that included President Cyril Ramaphosa, Vladimir Putin of Russia, China’s Xi Jinping, Brazil’s Michel Temer and India’s Narendra Modi.

“My country recognises this forum as being critical in shaping a new global sustainable development and we welcome possibilities for cooperation,” he said.

Mnangagwa listed infrastructure development, mining, information and communication technology; and financial services as areas earmarked for growth. –