Zimpapers Logo

Innocent Madonko in KINSHASA, DRC

THE Democratic Republic of Congo is in peak election mode as it prepares to hold crucial polls to elect a President, Members of Parliament and councillors on 20 December. 

Congolese voters, who in 2019 witnessed a peaceful transfer of power from then outgoing President Joseph Kabila to incumbent President Felix Tshisekedi for the first time since independence 63 years ago, will next Wednesday seek to consolidate their democracy through a plebiscite widely expected to peaceful, free and fair given the pre-election tranquility prevailing in most parts of the country.   

Discounting the security challenges in Eastern DRC that have been raging for decades, the rest of the country is gearing for general elections in an atmosphere devoid of conflict. 

Supporters of DRC President Felix Tshisekedi at a rally in Mbuji Mayi, the capital city of Kasai-Oriental Province, yesterday. – Pictures: Beleve Nyakudjara.

In a country with more than 44 million registered voters and a population close to 100 million people, authorities in DRC should be commended for superintending over a largely incident-free campaign period that has almost reached its zenith. 

In the capital Kinshasa, campaign posters featuring the three leading presidential candidates, Messrs Tshisekedi, Moise Katumbi and Dennis Mukwege are plastered on most streets and buildings while their campaign teams can be seen criss-crossing the length and breadth of this bustling metropolis of 17 million people canvassing for votes. 

Mr Tshisekedi is seeking a second and final five-year term as President of the mineral rich country and his party, the Union for Democracy and Social Progress, is strongly tipped to romp to victory given the solid performance of its Government in the past five years and a strong presidential candidate who commands support and respect from across the generality of the population. 

His main challenger is Mr Katumbi, a controversial millionaire businessman, former governor of Katanga Province and owner of TP Mazembe Football Club which is based in Lubumbashi. 

Mr Mukwege, a Nobel Prize winning gynaecologist is also tipped to provide stiff competition for the two leading contenders.

While much work still needs to be done to bring order and peace to the east of the DRC, Mr Tshisekedi’s track record speaks volumes of the determination of his Government to lift its people out of poverty and into prosperity.

Free primary education and healthcare for pregnant women are some of the signature social protection programmes the administration of Mr Tshisekedi has implemented while the economy has registered notable growth in the five-years it has been in charge. 

Official figures indicate that Growth Domestic Product growth strengthened in 2022, boosted by higher than expected earnings from the mining industry while foreign currency reserves jumped from US$1 billion in 2019 when the current Government took office to US$5 billion this year. 

There is so much at stake in this election given the mineral riches of the DRC and its history with meddlesome Western foreign powers who have been tacitly fueling conflict in the east of the country in order to continue plundering the country’s wealth. 

The European Observer Mission was recently forced to pull out of the DRC elections after its request to bring in sophisticated communication equipment was rejected outright by the DRC government.

Authorities here were wary of the intentions of the observer mission given the EU’s history of meddling in the internal affairs of African countries during elections. 

In Zimbabwe, police in August swooped on some properties in Harare and arrested 41 members of civic society organisations and thwarted their attempt to illegally announce the results of the 2023 harmonised elections. 

Several communication gadgets being used to unlawfully tabulate election voting statistics and results from polling stations throughout the country were recovered. The equipment and statistics were being supplied by observers.

Meanwhile, Mr Tshisekedi yesterday addressed a massive rally in Mbuji Mayi, the capital city of Kasai-Oriental Province in the south of the country as he continues to drum up support for his re-election bid. 

As preparations for the polls gather momentum, the Independent National Electoral Commission has declared readiness to conduct the polls while SADC and other observer missions are already on the ground.

Elections in the DRC will complete the 2023 SADC electoral cycle with Zimbabwe and the Kingdom of Eswatini having already held their polls which were described as peaceful, free, fair and exemplary by SADC chair and Angolan President Joao Lourenco.