Question NW3635 to the Minister of International Relations and Cooperation
17 November 2023 - NW3635
Powell, Ms EL to ask the Minister of International Relations and Cooperation
Whether the Government is actively pursuing the attainment of a political settlement in Zimbabwe, following the disputed August 2023 elections in the specified country; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what are the relevant details of the political settlement that the Government hopes to achieve in Zimbabwe?
Reply:
The Republic of Zimbabwe held its harmonised elections on 23 and 24 August 2023 to elect the President, Members of Parliament and Councillors for local government. His Excellency Dr Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa, leader of the Zimbabwe African National Union - Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF) won the presidential elections by 52,6% of the votes and his closest rival and leader of the main opposition Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC), Advocate Nelson Chamisa, received 44% of the vote. The other presidential candidates received about 3,3% of the vote combined.
According to Section 93 of the Zimbabwean Constitution, any aggrieved candidate may challenge the validity of an election of a President by lodging a petition or application with the Constitutional Court within seven (7) days after the date of the declaration of the results of the elections. The Constitutional Court must hear and determine a petition or application within fourteen (14) days after the petition or application was lodged and the Court’s decision is final.
There has been no pursuance of the above prescribed process by any of the presidential candidates after the general elections held on 23 and 24 August 2023. South Africa continues to engage with all the relevant stakeholders to ensure that peace and stability are improved in Zimbabwe. The results of the elections indicate that the two major players, being ZANU-PF and the CCC need to engage meaningfully with each other to ensure that their differences are solved so that Zimbabwe can focus on issues of inclusive development, peace and stability, which are important for Zimbabweans, South Africans and the SADC region.