A bombshell report by the Southern Africa Human Rights Lawyers (SAHRL) has ignited a firestorm of controversy, accusing Zimbabwe’s ruling Zanu-PF party of orchestrating widespread voter fraud in Mozambique’s recent national elections.
The report, titled “Zimbabwe’s Interference With the 2024 Mozambique Harmonised Elections,” alleges that a staggering 296,519 Zimbabwean citizens illegally cast ballots in the Mozambican plebiscite. This figure represents a substantial portion of the total electorate, prompting SAHRL to call for a complete rerun of the election.
The report, confirmed by SAHRL High Commissioner Professor Talent Rusere, details a meticulously planned operation allegedly coordinated by Zanu-PF, aimed at bolstering the ruling Frelimo party against the challenging opposition PODEMOS Party. The report names at least nine senior Zanu-PF officials, including Cabinet Ministers, allegedly tasked with overseeing the operation in different provinces.
SAHRL’s investigation allegedly uncovered significant numbers of Zimbabwean voters in various locations. The report cites figures such as 53,122 Zanu-PF supporters allegedly voting in Duma, Bikita; 36,872 in Murehwa; and 41,213 at the Maud Muzenda Training Centre in Masvingo.
Further alleged instances of illegal voting included 76,519 votes in Mutare/Rusape, 69,019 across Harare, and 19,774 across Chegutu. The report also alleges that Frelimo employed other tactics to influence the outcome, including ballot paper deprivation in opposition strongholds, ballot stuffing, and obstruction of election observers.
Responding to the allegations, Zanu-PF spokesperson Chris Mutsvangwa dismissed the report as an exaggeration, stating that all those who voted were Mozambicans with dual citizenship acquired at independence, exercising their right to vote. He accused this publication of "building mountains out of molehills."
However, an investigation by this publication revealed that many of those who voted were indeed non-Mozambicans, including several undercover Zimbabwean journalists. Mutsvangwa further claimed that the Zanu-PF Ministers and Parliamentarians named in the report as coordinators of the voting process all hold dual citizenship in Zimbabwe and Mozambique.
Zanu-PF secretary for National Administration, Dr Obert Mpofu, vehemently denied the allegations of interference in Mozambique’s elections, describing the accusations against President Mnangagwa as a smear campaign aimed at damaging his reputation and that of the party.
While acknowledging past complaints from Botswana, South Africa, and Namibia regarding Zanu-PF's activities, Dr Mpofu maintained that the party had not interfered in the elections of other countries. This assertion is contradicted by the admission from senior Zanu-PF official Patrick Chinamasa, who openly declared support for the then-ruling Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) at a rally in Botswana before their electoral defeat.
The sheer scale of the alleged voter fraud, as detailed in the SAHRL report, raises serious questions about the integrity of the Mozambican elections. The involvement of high-ranking Zanu-PF officials, if proven, would constitute a grave violation of international norms and could have significant implications for regional stability.
