Tolerance key for peaceful polls

Our Zimbabwean brothers and sisters will soon be heading to the polls to elect a new leadership for the first time since the ousting of former president Robert Mugabe last year. The elections are set for 30 July and the political campaigns are in full swing in what is expected to be the most competitive presidential election in the country's history. There is no doubt that the upcoming polls will be closely monitored by international observers, the regional bloc SADC, potential investors and the people of Zimbabwe, who are all hoping that the elected leader will chart a path different from that of the long-serving Mugabe. The Zimbabwe vote therefore has a major impact on the country's economic growth and political stability. Zimbabwe's neighbours will also be impacted by the outcome, and in particular Namibia whose leader Hage Geingob will be assuming the SADC chairmanship just days after the polls in the neighbouring country. There is enough reason to believe that the Zimbabwe elections will undoubtedly be Geingob's first hot potato, considering the political violence in recent weeks. On 23 June Zimbabwean leader Emmerson Mnangagwa survived a grenade blast just moments after addressing a political rally in Bulawayo. It was later announced that two people died from injuries sustained in the attack, while 49 others were hospitalised with an assortment of injuries. Geingob has, rightly so, condemned the Bulawayo violence by stating that SADC will not entertain violent acts, adding that winning peaceful, free and fair elections was the only legitimate path towards forming a government on the continent. It is indeed high time that African nations guard against political intolerance. Tolerance is key to deepening any nation's democracy and political parties, in particular their leaders and followers, should at all times accept and respect the views and political activities of their rivals. And as we prepare for more general elections within the region in the coming year, it is worth noting that political tolerance breeds peaceful elections, and that should be the norm on our beautiful yet scarred continent.

There should be no room for acts that undermine the will of the people or that skew the political playing field.