Zimbabwe holds voter registration ahead general elections

Zimbabweans in voting units across Harare formed waiting lines Wednesday to register for the country's forthcoming polls. In five months, Zimbabweans will vote in harmonized presidential and legislative elections.

Ahead the vote whose dates have not been scheduled yet, Zimbabwe Electoral Commission  ZEC) has launched a 10-day registration blitz to enable those intending to register as voters to obtain critical documents like birth certificates and national identity cards.

"I have come to register to vote because I want the leader to stay in power so that he can improve the economy and create jobs. We don’t want poverty and right now, robbery cases are high because there are no jobs." Peter Sigauke, voter

For Molinda Chigwada, this is a chance for a  better Zimbabwe. "I am hoping for the better Zimbabwe because I heard the every vote counts." 

Another prospective voter Ngonidzashe Chawira, is also optimistic.

"I have come to register to vote because I want our Father Mnangagwa to win and create jobs for us

Ahead of the elections, main political parties and leaders have already started preparations in earnest with rallies and various campaign activities.

Many avoid uttering the name "Nelson Chamisa" in public when talking about the main rival to President Emmerson Mnangagwa.

The southern African country is more and more like a "dictatorship", the 45-year-old lawyer recently told AFP.

His Citizens' Coalition for Change (CCC) party is bracing for a "rough" presidential and legislative election campaign against President Emmerson Mnangagwa. The man who is known as "the Crocodile" was chosen in October 2022 as the Zanu-PF candidate.

A date has yet to be set for the votes, which are expected to be early in August.

But the odds are stacked up against the opposition.