1. Home
  2. Southern Africa
  3. Zimbabwe

SA warns integrity of election vital for region

South Africa has warned that the integrity of the upcoming Zimbabwean elections are vital for the stability of southern
Africa.

Addressing a press conference in Pretoria on Monday afternoon, Sipho Pityana, Director General of the Department of Foreign Affairs said that the 24-25 June parliamentary elections had to be "beyond reproach".

"If you don't have a free and fair election there, the world will forget that the region usually holds free and fair elections," Pityana said.

Referring to President Thabo Mbeki's policy of quiet diplomacy Pityana said: "Many leaders resolved to tongue lashing, but there have been no results. Now there are observers for the election, donors are asking about donations to be made on the land issue and there are discussions with the
International Monetary Fund about aid packages to Zimbabwe."


This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions

Share this article

Our ability to deliver compelling, field-based reporting on humanitarian crises rests on a few key principles: deep expertise, an unwavering commitment to amplifying affected voices, and a belief in the power of independent journalism to drive real change.

We need your help to sustain and expand our work. Your donation will support our unique approach to journalism, helping fund everything from field-based investigations to the innovative storytelling that ensures marginalised voices are heard.

Please consider joining our membership programme. Together, we can continue to make a meaningful impact on how the world responds to crises.

Become a member of The New Humanitarian

Support our journalism and become more involved in our community. Help us deliver informative, accessible, independent journalism that you can trust and provides accountability to the millions of people affected by crises worldwide.

Join