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ZIMBABWEANS are today once again exercising their democratic right to elect Members of the National Assembly and councillors in the by-elections triggered by recalls of Citizens’ Coalition for Change (CCC) MPs, Senators and councillors by the opposition party’s  interim secretary-general Mr Sengezo Tshabangu. 

The nine vacant constituencies are Beitbridge West, Binga North, Lupane East, Bulawayo South, Cowdray Park, Lobengula-Magwegwe, Mabvuku- Tafara, Mpopoma-Mzilikazi and Nketa. 

Elections will also be held in several council wards across the country. 

Zimbabwe held harmonised elections in August and voters in the affected constituencies and wards are back in the ballot box in less than four months as a result of the recalls by Mr Tshabangu.

We want to once again appeal to citizens to maintain the prevailing peace and tranquillity that the country has been enjoying the since the harmonised elections. 

We urge those voting today to exercise their democratic right peacefully because after the elections Zimbabwe has to move on. 

All citizens should contribute to building the Zimbabwe we all want regardless of one’s political affiliation. We want to commend citizens for rejecting calls from some rogue Zimbabweans in the diaspora to engage in violent protests as such conduct is not only destructive but can claim lives. 

These rogue elements who relish the suffering of fellow Zimbabweans, are the same individuals peddling falsehoods about the situation in Zimbabwe to scare away investors. 

In the August harmonised elections, Zimbabweans demonstrated their political maturity by campaigning and voting peacefully. They also maintained the peace and tranquillity after the elections and this should continue after today’s by-elections. 

We have said before that those not happy with the outcome of elections should petition the courts as opposed to resorting to violence. It is our fervent hope that the security forces are ready to deal decisively with elements that might want to incite violence. 

Citizens have said No to violence and individuals that want to persuade them to engage in violence should be exposed and shamed. 

When individuals participate in an election they should know that they can either win or lose hence should accept the election result with humility. 

We can only build the Zimbabwe we all want if there is peace and tranquillity.  

Zimbabwe has during the past few years managed to attract investments worth billions of dollars in different sectors of the economy including mining. The challenge is to build on this momentum so that the country can attain its vision of an upper middle-income society by 2030. 

We want to conclude by once again quoting President Mnangagwa on the eve of the 2018 harmonised elections when he said: “Let us all — citizens and candidates alike — be respectful, tolerant and love one another. Let us remember that no matter who we support, we are all brothers and sisters and that, above all, Zimbabwe after the polls will still be home to us all — winners and losers.”