SADC hopes for free, fair polls in Mozambique

Harare (New Ziana)- The Southern African Development Community (SADC) election observer mission to the October 15 general elections in Mozambique on Monday expressed confidence that the polls will be free and fair.

This was said by Head of the SADC observer team, who is also Zimbabwe’s Defence Minister, Oppah Muchiguri Kashiri when she and her teammates paid a courtesy call on Mozambique Foreign Affairs and Cooperation Minister Jose Antonio Pacheco.

Muchinguri -Kashiri told reporters that the advance SADC team of experts deployed in Mozambique was convinced that the polls would be flawless.

“We did send our team, the SADC team of experts as preparation for our team to come.

“And I must say that the report which we received was of course very positive that Mozambique is ready to hold this election but of course there were a few observations which were raised. You are aware of the situation in Cabo Delgado province. We have received an explanation of the situation on the ground and we really hope that the country will hold free and fair elections,” she said.

Cabo Delgado is located in the northern part of Mozambique which has been hit by Islamic attacks in the past 17 months resulting in more than 100 people killed and 500 homes burnt.

Muchinguri- Kashiri said the SADC team has 61 observers.

“We are a team of 61 observers and we will be deploying observers to all the ten provinces of Mozambique.

“And we came to meet the Minister of Foreign Affairs because we can only operate with his permission because he is the face of Mozambique. So this is our first call before we launch,” said Muchinguri- Kashiri.

Muchinguri- Kashiri was nominated by President Emmerson Mnangagwa, in his capacity as chairman of the Southern African Development Community’s Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation, to head the SADC election observer mission to the October 15 general elections in Mozambique.

Mozambique is holding Presidential, provincial and legislative elections.

Four presidential candidates and 26 parties are contesting in the general election which will be the first to elect provincial governors. Incumbent President and Frelimo leader, Filipe Nyusi, the leader of the Mozambican National Resistance (Renamo), Ossufo Momade, the leader of the Democratic Movement of Mozambique (MDM), Daviz Simango, and the candidate of the Extra-parliamentary Action Party of the United Movement for Integral Salvation (AMUSI), Mario Albino, are the four Presidential candidates.

New Ziana