By DUNCAN KHAEMBA

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Voting in Zimbabwe's 2023 General election has begun as more than six million people choose between 11 candidates jostling to take over the country's mantle.

Polling stations across the countries 210 constituencies are expected to run from 7am until 7pm local time (GMT+2).

There are 12,340 polling stations in its 10 provinces and voters will be participating in what has been called 'harmonised national elections' in which the president, members of parliament, senators and councillors are to be chosen. Most of the seats are directly elected hut senators will be chosen based on a proportional representation.

This is Zimbabwe's ninth general election since it gained independence in 1980 and ten presidential candidates among them one woman are on the ballot.

Read: Mnangagwa set elections for August 23

Official opposition leader Douglas Mwonzora of Movement for Democratic Change (MDC-T) withdrew from the race claiming lack of conducive environment for a free, fair and transparent election.

It leaves 45-year-old Nelson Chamisa of Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC), who is an advocate and a pastor, is the main opposition candidate.

The incumbent President Emerson  Mnangagwa, 80, who is  seeking a second term, came to power in 2018  following the ouster of late President Robert Mugabe by military generals in November 2017. Mugabe had been in power since Zimbabwe gained independence in 1980.

President Emmerson Mnangagwa (C) speaks to journalists after casting his ballot at Sherwood Primary School, a polling station in Central Zimbabwe, on August 23, 2023. PHOTO | KITSEPILE NYATHI | NMG

The presidential election is a political rematch between the incumbent Mnangagwa and Chamisa who came second in 2018 with 44.3 percent while Mnangagwa was announced winner with 50.8 percent which was disputed.

Read: Chamisa to face Mnangagwa at polls

According to Zimbabwe constitution, a winner must obtain 50 percent of votes cast failure to which a repeat election between top two candidates shall be held within sixty days. 

In 2008, a repeat election was held between President Robert Mugabe and official opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai after the first round failed to yield a 50 percent threshold. Tsvangirai had won the first round with 47.8 percent with Mugabe landing 43.2 percent.

However, Tsvangirai pulled out of the repeat poll following massive violence against his supporters marred the election campaigns.

Key issues in the election are the economy, chocking inflation which stands at 176 percent as of June, unemployment and fate of Zimbabwe dollar which was reintroduced in 2019 after a decade of dollarisation and has depreciated by more than 80 percent now.

One US dollar is equivalent to 45000 Zimbabwe dollars, officially. It is more expensive in the black market.

Read: Zimbabwe to sell gold coins as local currency weakens

Incumbent President Emerson Mnangagwa served in the Mugabe administration as minister then later as vice president from 2013 to 2017 before falling out with Mugabe.

He fled to South Africa and later returned to take the mantle after the military engineered a soft coup against Mugabe.

In 2018, he was declared winner in a tight contest. He has argued during campaigns that his government has created many opportunities in the economy leading to heavy investments in key sectors of mining and agriculture and wants to build more on that.

On other hand, youthful Chamisa is promising to resuscitate the ailing economy, fight corruption and end Zimbabwe's isolation by returning it to the international community of nations. Various sanctions were imposed on mineral rich Southern Africa country during Mugabe's reign.