Campaigns are in full swing in Zimbabwe as political parties gear up for a general election next month.
The two were the frontrunners in the last presidential race in 2018 too. This time around though, they will have to contend with a once exiled former ZANU-PF minister, Savior Kasukuwere, too.
The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission has approved 11 presidential candidates in total , with each having had to pay $20,000 (€18,000) to appear on the ballot.
To win the presidency, one candidate must get more than 50% of the vote. If no outright winner emerges, a run-off between the top two contenders will be held on October 2.
Incumbent president, Emmerson Mnangagwa of the ruling Zimbabwe African National Union – Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF), is hoping to secure a second term in office. His biggest rival in the presidential election is Nelson Chamisa of the opposition Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) party.
Alexandar Rusero, a politics professor at Africa University in Zimbabwe, says only Mnangagwa, Chamisa and Kasukuwere have any chance of emerging the winner.
“The rest are just side shows and maybe people who are strategically positioning themselves in the post-election. Because what happened in the 2018 election has since proved that there are some dividends if you invest in this race,” .
