Some of the presidential candidates in Zimbabwe’s 2023 Harmonised Elections held on 23 and 24 August have conceded defeat after the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) declared ZANU PF candidate Emmerson Mnangagwa the winner.
According to ZEC, Mnangagwa had 2,350,711 votes which translates to 52.6%, beating his closest competitor Nelson Chamisa who received 1 967 343 which translates to 44% of the total votes cast..
The other candidates in the presidential race were Joseph Makamba Busha (Free Zim Congress), Trust Chikohora (ZCPD), Blessing Kasiyamhuru (ZIPP), Lovemore Madhuku (NCA), Wilbert Mubaiwa (NPC), Gwinyai Henry Muzorewa (UANC), Douglas Mwonzora (MDC), Elisabeth Valerio (UZA), and Harry Peter Wilson (DOP).
Speaking to The Sunday Mail soon after the announcement of the results, Muzorewa, who was represented by his secretary-general, Michael Nyamande, said “We, as the UANC party, are very happy with the outcome”.
National Constitutional Assembly (NCA) representative Robert Mhlanga said:
We need to move forward as Zimbabwe, as that is the most important thing. This is what we want as Zimbabweans.
We need so much peace, irrespective of whatever failings we might have. Peace is the best thing moving forward.
Zimbabwe Coalition for Peace and Development (ZCPD) president Trust Chikohora, who polled 10 230 votes, said he accepted the results. He said:
It’s an expression of the will of the people of Zimbabwe at this point in time. We take this opportunity to congratulate President Mnangagwa and ZANU PF on their victory and we wish them well as they govern this country in the next five years.
It is against this background that ZCPD stands ready to work with the elected Government to improve the lives of our people, as well as deepen our democracy in the next five years.
We will do this guided by the following principles: constitutionalism and the rule of law; national values and principles of good governance; devolution; peaceful co-existence and tolerance of divergent views.
A representative of the Zimbabwe Partnership for Prosperity (ZIPP), which is led by Kasiyamhuru, said:
We accept these results, everything was done in a peaceful manner and we should applaud that.
We were all given a chance to verify our results and we are happy with what we saw.
What we now need is peace in the country so that we move. We need to work together to move forward.
However, CCC has rejected the results of the 2023 presidential election announced by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) on Saturday night, saying they did not align with the evidence from V11 forms.