Harare, Zimbabwe — The Southern Africa Human Rights Lawyers, led by High Commissioner Talent Rusere, has accused Zimbabwe’s ruling ZANU-PF party and President Emmerson Mnangagwa of interfering in Mozambique’s recent elections, which have seen escalating political tensions and claims of electoral fraud.
In an interview with South Africa’s state broadcaster, Rusere revealed that his organisation has launched an investigation into Zimbabwe’s alleged involvement in the Mozambican electoral process. The claims suggest that Zimbabwean nationals crossed into Mozambique to vote, potentially skewing results in favour of the ruling Frelimo party. Mozambique’s National Electoral Commission declared Frelimo’s Daniel Chapo as the winner, but the opposition party PODEMOS, led by Venacio Mondlane, has disputed the results, accusing Frelimo of fraud.
“We have launched an investigation to uncover the truth behind what happened in Mozambique. Evidence suggests interference by the Zimbabwean President and ZANU-PF,” Rusere stated. “Credible reports indicate that Zimbabweans were deployed to vote in Mozambique, possibly influencing the election outcome.”
The aftermath of the election has been marked by severe unrest. Reports indicate that over 50 people, including prominent figures, have died in violence stemming from the disputed results.
Rusere pointed to circulating videos allegedly showing Zimbabwean nationals in Mozambique with voter IDs, casting ballots for Frelimo. These individuals, according to Rusere, claimed in the videos that they were instructed to vote for the ruling party. Rusere emphasised that this is not an isolated accusation, describing a pattern of alleged electoral interference by Mnangagwa’s administration in neighbouring countries.
“This isn’t the first instance of the Zimbabwean President and ruling party attempting to influence elections in neighbouring nations. The evidence—including videos of Zimbabweans with voter IDs testifying to voting for Frelimo—raises significant concerns about election integrity,” Rusere remarked.
The allegations of electoral interference have intensified the crisis in Mozambique, where opposition groups and citizens are increasingly questioning the legitimacy of the election outcome. Calls are mounting for an independent investigation into the alleged foreign involvement and the transparency of the electoral process.
As the Southern Africa Human Rights Lawyers continue their investigation, neighbouring countries and the international community, including the Southern African Development Community (SADC), are closely monitoring developments in Mozambique.
Source: NewZimbabwe