3 feared dead in Zimbabwe amid election unrest

The ongoing polls in Zimbabwe has sparked wild protests in the capital of Harare, with reports suggesting that no less than three demonstrators have been killed.

Reports say the streets of Harare were filled with wild stone-throwing opposition supporters who accuse the ruling ZANU-PF party of election rigging.

Soldiers reportedly opened fire at the wild protesters leading to the death of no less than three victims with the opposition alliance Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) calling the state’s response “disproportionate and unjustified”.

“Today we saw the deployment of military tanks and the firing of live ammunition on civilians for no apparent reason,” MDC spokesman Nkululeko Sibanda told reporters.

“We condemn in the strongest sense the action that was taken today. There is no justification whatsoever for the brutality we experienced.”

Read also: Trump threatens to shutdown US govt

Meanwhile, the Electoral Commission of Zimbabwe has declared that the ruling ZANU-PF party has won the parliamentary election with 109 seats, gaining a clear majority.

The election body also added that the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) party managed to win only 41 seats with results for 58 seats still to be announced.

However, the commission has not yet given any clarity on who might become the country’s next president.

“It could be a few more days because election officials say they need to wait for all the results to come in from across the country,” Al Jazeera’s Haru Matasa said.

According to reports, more than five million Zimbabweans registered to take part in the landmark elections to pick their next president and members of parliament.

President Emmerson Mnangagwa, of the ruling ZANU-PF party, and Nelson Chamisa, of the opposition MDC Alliance, are seen as the top two contenders.

 

RipplesNigeria… without borders, without fears

Click here to join the Ripples Nigeria WhatsApp group for latest updates.

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now