The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) has acknowledged the formation of a new political party called the Independence of Zimbabwe African Organisation of People’s Power Pinda Panyanga United Front (IZAOPPOPP UNF).

A letter signed by ZEC’s chief elections officer, Mr Utoile Silaigwana, reads: “The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) acknowledges receipt of your party profile documents, the contents of which have been noted. Your organisation has been included on ZEC’s stakeholder database and mailing list for notification when appropriate meetings that require your input arise.”

In an interview with The Herald, the party’s leader, Mr Edson Rupondo, said he formed the party to be “the voice of the voiceless”.

Mr Rupondo said his party would be nationalist in nature and would uphold Zimbabwe’s national interests, ideals and ethos. “What we want is a democratic Zimbabwe and we respect the liberation struggle. Our party will be nationalist and pan-Africanist,” he said.

“We simply want to use other avenues through a structure like a political party to advocate for the citizens’ interests.”

He said that constitutionalism was an important part of the party as every Zimbabwean citizen must act in accordance with the law.

“My thinking is informed by the fact that the law is a social institution which may be improved by intelligent human efforts or otherwise the spirits of our liberation heroes will not be pleased by the direction the country will be taking,” said Mr Rupondo.

IZAOPPOPP UNF will lock horns with Mnangagwa’s Zanu PF and Nelson Chamisa’s MDC Alliance in 2023 watershed elections.

-State media