Election date set

Gift Nyathi

The voters roll to be used for the 2023 harmonised elections  closes on Friday 2 June 2023, after  President Mnangagwa’s proclamation of  23 August as the date for the holding of the harmonised elections.

 “Now, therefore, under and by virtue of the powers vested in the President as aforesaid, I do, by this proclamation, fix the 23rd day of August, 2023, as the day of the election to the office of President, the election of members of the National Assembly and election of councillors, that is to say, as the day on which a poll shall be taken if a poll becomes necessary in terms of section 46(17)(c) or 125(4)(b) of the Electoral Act [Chapter 2:13] for the election to the office of President or any such members of the National Assembly or councillors,” said Mnangagwa.             

 In Proclamation 4 of 2023, President ED Mnangagwa has also set the 2nd of October 2023 as the date for a run-off for  election of the office of the President if such a poll becomes necessary in terms of Section 38(1)(a)(iii) of the Electoral Act.

The Nomination court for candidates will sit on the 20th of June.

The President also set the 3rd of August 2023 as the day Provincial Assemblies of Chiefs will meet to elect members of the Chiefs Council for the purposes of Section 120(1)(b) and (c) of the Constitution of Zimbabwe, as read with Section 38(3) of the Electoral Act Ch 2:13 and Section 35 of the Traditional Leaders Act Ch 29:17.  

Meanwhile, the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC)’s  voters’ roll inspection is set to end on the 1st of June 2023 after a one-day extension.

Mnangagwa who has been declared by organs of the ruling Zanu PF as the party’s “sole presidential candidate” is expected to once again go toe to toe with the Citizen Coalition for Change’s Nelson Chamisa whom he narrowly beat in the highly disputed poll out outcome of  2018.