Former Mozambican president Joachim Chissano on Saturday attended President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s star rally in Midlands amid reports he would also attend opposition CCC leader Nelson Chamisa’s own rally in a bid to get a better perspective of Zimbabwe’s political landscape ahead of Wednesday’s elections.
Chissano is the special facilitator of for Zimbabwe’s debt and arrears clearance programme sponsored by the African Development Bank.
His duties involve working to end the country’s long-standing standoff with its creditors and the international community.
During a high-level conference on Zimbabwe’s bid to end its protracted debt crisis in May, Chissano told Mnangagwa the country’s major enemies included governance, rule of law, human rights, and freedom of expression.
Mozambique’s leader between 1986 and 2005 emphasized the importance of Mnangagwa’s administration leveling the playing field and implementing electoral reforms to ensure free and fair elections.
Opponents have accused the Zanu-PF led administration of failure to introduce election reforms recommended by SADC, the AU, and the Monthlante Commission, which probed the 2018 post-election protests and the resultant killing of civilians.
Presidential spokesperson George Charamba said through his social media handle that Chissano had requested to attend both Zanu-PF and CCC rallies in the spirit of ensuring Zimbabwe holds peaceful, free, and fair elections as a precursor to debt resolution.
“President of Mozambique, Cde Joachim Chissano is attending the Midlands Rally.
“As both an elder statesman and a champion on Zimbabwe Debt Resolution, the former President requested that he attends two rallies: one for Zanu-PF, another for Triple C.
“The Zimbabwean Govt acceded to the request,” said Charamba.
Chissano is expected to attend Chamisa’s penultimate Bulawayo rally on Sunday or the Harare one Monday.
Chamisa, according to poll pundits and physical support on the ground, is President Mnangagwa’s biggest
-zimeye