Zimbabwe has an election coming up, so I thought I’d put together a few points about the country’s recent politics. (If you’re interested in the early history of the area, you might find this Britannica link useful.)

1. The country became Zimbabwe in 1980.
2. It is a presidential republic.
3. Robert Gabriel Mugabe, ZANU-PF (Zimbabwe African National Union – Patriotic Front) was the country’s first president, and ruled for 37 years.
4. There was a ‘soft coup’ in 2017 which removed the 93-year-old Robert Mugabe from power.
5. He was replaced by Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa – also ZANU-PF.
6. On the 23 August 2023 Zimbabwe will go to the polls again.
7. The 80-year-old Emmerson Mnangagwa is standing as the presidential candidate for ZANU-PF.
8. ZANU-PF has now ruled the country for over four decades.
9. The main opposition is the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) led by 45-year-old Nelson Chamisa.
10. Since 2000, elections in Zimbabwe have seen bitter contests between ZANU-PF and its main opposition (formerly known as the Movement for Democratic Change – MDC – led by Morgan Tsvangirai).
11. Today there are allegations that the fairness of the upcoming elections has been damaged by systems that favour ZANU-PF and make it difficult for the opposition to hold rallies, or publicly challenge the government.

I hope we’ll get to see what really happens there in a month’s time.

Copyright Georgie Knaggs & The Phraser 2023