Staff Reporter

Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) Chairperson, Justice Priscilla Chigumba has vowed that nothing would stop the elections from going forward.

In a video circulating on social media, Justice Chigumba declared that no one has the right to stop an election whose date has already been proclaimed by President Emmerson Mnangagwa. She stated that those who are against the electoral processes could only challenge the outcome after the election had happened.

“The first thing to take note of is that once the President has proclaimed an election date there is nothing short of an earthquake, which can stop the election. Even if the candidates scrutinize the voters’ roll or state any anomalies in it, whatever legal cost that they have, it will not stop the election.

“Candidates can avail themselves to any anomalies to possibly challenge the outcome of the election. Nothing stops an election after a proclamation of election date. Whatever candidates can do for whatever reason and whatever their opinions and views are they can only be used to challenge the outcome of the election,” said Justice Chigumba.

Meanwhile, on 31 May 2023, President Mnangagwa proclaimed the election date to be held on 23 August 2023, and those in the opposition political parties have been bent on discrediting the elections by propagating the narrative that the electoral environment was not conducive for free and fair elections.