During his trip to Namibia, Emmerson Mnangagwa, the President of Zimbabwe was asked about how the country was set to handle the country’s voting for the Zimbabweans in the Diaspora, he then rather called them back home.
The President replied to the question in a question and answer session that he held with hundreds of Zimbabweans in Namibia.
The President explained that Zimbabwe currently, does not have the capacity neither the logistics to enable millions of Zimbabweans living outside the country’s borders to vote, President Emmerson Mnangagwa said on Monday.
The President was further quoted as saying that anyone who was really serious about participating in the voting, could fly back home and register and get ready to cast his/her vote.
‘We do not have the logistics now or the capacity,’ President Mnangagwa told hundreds of Zimbabweans based in Namibia during a question and answer session.
‘We realize that time will come when we shall have the capacity to do that for our people in the Diaspora but for now we do not have the capacity to do so.’
Mr. Mnangagwa elaborated that the Government was not trying to deny Zimbabweans out of the country a chance to exercise their rights, but basing on the current situation in the country, he asked them to be considerate and go back and vote from home, if they really wanted to.
He also promised that during the election time, the whole process would be transparent, free, fair and credible. He added that he does not entertain violence and so, the polls will be violence free, calling on all Zimbabweans to maintain peace and harmony during the process.
‘We accept that we may have different views about how to run the country, that is accepted but we do not need any violence,’ Mnangagwa said.
‘So if you differ, differ peacefully and on an intellectual basis.’
He told the gathering that observers would be invited from the region, continent as well as international community to monitor the polls.
‘Above that, every country that has an embassy in Zimbabwe is allowed five people to observe the elections,’ he informed.
Zimbabwe is soon holding general elections for the nationals to vote for their President and members of both houses of parliament.
Reporter: Shamilah Namuddu
