Zimbabwe general elections set for July or August 2023, ZEC confirms

The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) has announced the suspension of by-elections while setting July or August 2023 as the months for the upcoming harmonised general elections.

The suspension of by-elections is in line with the constitution which stipulates that a by-election cannot be held within nine months before a general election is due.

ZEC Chairperson Priscilla Chigumba announced the development in a statement on Thursday.

“Section 158(3) of the Constitution provides that polling in by-elections shall take place within ninety days of the vacancies occurring unless the vacancies occur within nine months before a general election is due to be held.

“The last general election held in 2018 was held on 31″ July 2018. It is therefore anticipated from a reading of section 158(3) of the Constitution that general elections will be held on a date to be set during the month of either July or August 2023,” Chigumba said.

“Members of the public are thus notified that the filling of vacancies that occur on or after the 1 of November 2022 will be suspended pending the conduct of the 2023 general elections.”

The country held its last general election on July 31 in 2018 with Zanu-PF leader Emmerson Mnangagwa taking the oath of office on August 26, two days after the Constitutional Court dismissed a court challenge to presidential poll results by opposition leader Nelson Chamisa.

Chamisa who is now leading the main opposition Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) is likely to face Mnangagwa in 2023.

Zanu-PF will also hold its congress next week where all provinces are likely to endorse Mnangagwa as their 2023 presidential candidate.