Chiwenga pledges credible polls

VICE-PRESIDENT Constantino Chiwenga yesterday reiterated the government's commitment to holding free, fair, credible, transparent and peaceful elections, as the country hopes the polls will speed re-engagement with the international community.

Speaking at the Africa Factbook International Stakeholders' Consultative Conference organised by local publishing company, Book of African Records (BAR), Chiwenga said the government's thrust was to re-engage with the international community and forge fraternal relationships around the globe.

"Zimbabwe will hold its harmonised elections later this year as pronounced by President Emmerson Mnangagwa and our government is committed to ensure that the elections are free, fair, credible, transparent and peaceful," he said.

"In this regard, the new dispensation's mantra is that Zimbabwe is open for business, as our thrust is to re-engage with the entire international community and forge fraternal relationships with all nations around the globe based on the principles of mutual respect and benefit."

Chiwenga later pledged $1 000 towards the fundraising efforts for the Africa Factbook project, which is meant to pool together useful facts about Africa and its people for purposes of information dissemination, education, reference, statistics and documentation. The project is being implemented by the BAR on the strength of a memorandum of understanding with the African Union Commission.