DEFENCE minister Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri faces a mammoth task as she heads the SADC observer mission, ahead of Mozambique’s general election today, Zim Morning Post can report.
The pre-election period was headlined with violence and by mid-day on Tuesday, opposition parties having already reported cases of rigging in Zambezi Province, a situation that is likely to discredit the whole plebiscite.
This has sparked a war of words from Renamo and other opposition parties who are are accusing ruling party Frelimo of manipulating ballots.
The antagonism is likely to cause a stand-off with possibility of another civil war as militant Renamo is ready to take up arms.
This development, should it occur, will scare away investors.
The election is a litmus test of democracy and should free and fairness prevail, investors are expect to flock in.
Investors who have shown great interest in Mozambique’s natural gas and tourism sector among other sectors.
Mozambique’s huge deposits of natural gas have attracted a lot of foreign direct investments, a situation the current government has been dying to achieve.
The investors and the Western countries therefore are waiting for reports from various observer missions who are in the country.
SADC observer missions have been accused by many opposition parties for endorsing all elections without taking serious considerations to evidence of vote buying, rigging and violence.
Opposition parties accused SADC of playing the brotherhood role, with fellow leaders from revolutionary parties endorsing flawed plebiscites.
In a space of one year, they have endorsed elections in Malawi and Zimbabwe and declared them free and fair elections despite opposition parties embarking on legal battles.