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Anxiety as Zimbabweans await election results

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There’s growing anxiety among Zimbabweans who are waiting for the results of its presidential election.

Violence erupted on Wednesday when soldiers fired on protesting opposition supporters in the capital Harare. Three people were killed.

The protests started after official results showed that the ruling ZANU-PF won majority seats in the parliamentary vote, strengthening President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s prospects to hold on to power.

Zimbabweans in Harare have expressed mixed views as results continue to be released. Zanu-PF continues to trend in the rural areas. And MDC Alliance which was projected to do well at the polls has mostly sealed the deal in urban areas.

Preliminary results of the country’s 2018 election continued to be on everyone’s lips.

Many living in this urban area, which is mainly dominated by the opposition party, the MDC were already disputing the tallied votes.

One resident says: “I am not happy because these results are not realistic.”

According to the last census conducted in 2012, 67% of Zimbabwe’s population resides in the rural areas, while 33% of Zimbabweans are based in the urban areas.

Many on the streets of Harare believe that the rural votes have been rigged and do not understand why Zanu-PF is dominating the results.

Null and void

“I am not feeling good at all. These results are null and void. They rigged the elections, ” says another resident.

Others in the CBD say they are pleased with the results and don’t believe they have been manipulated.

“I think the results are fair and fine. All the people in the rural areas are celebrating.”

Zimbabwe’s economy continues to be in crisis and many have high hopes that the economy will be turned around.

Meanwhile a group of men have opted to trade in money and have created their own make shift bank. This is where many come to exchange US dollars for Zimbabwe’s bond notes and vice versa.

An Accounting graduate says unemployment has forced him to become a hustler. ” The situation is not good. This is a matter of survival.”

He says he hopes the party that wins prioritises unemployment and create jobs especially for the youth. “The change needed in Zimbabwe is to create employment for the youth.”

Presidential results are expected to be announced on Thursday.

Meanwhile police say the three people confirmed to have been killed in post-election violence are yet to be identified. Senior Assistant Commander Charity Charamba says police are looking through footage to identify those involved in the protests. Charamba has warned that arrests are imminent.

“We wish to express our sincere and our deepest condolences to the believed families. The ZRP is currently investigating the circumstances surrounding the death of these three people and the injury of other people as well. In the meantime the deceased have not been identified.”

[Source: SABC]
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