Zimbabwe: President to resume rallies in Lupane July 21

Event

President Robert Mugabe is set to resume nationwide youth rallies on Friday, July 21, in Lupane, Matabeleland North province. 100,000 supporters of the president's party, ZANU-PF, are expected to attend the rally at Somhlongo Stadium. The event was previously scheduled to take place in early July, but was postponed due to Mugabe's recent medical trip to Singapore.

This nationwide rally tour is taking place amid speculation that Mugabe will call for a snap election during the first quarter of 2018. Constitutionally, the country is due for polls between July and August 2018, but rumors have it Mugabe may want to catch the opposition by surprise with an early election.

Context

Lupane, a typically "sleepy" town in southern Zimbabwe, has recently become a hotspot of ZANU-PF activity. In addition to Lupane, Mugabe has previously held political rallies in Marondera, Mutare, and Masvingo over the past three months.

Mugabe came to power after Zimbabwe's independence in 1980 and has yet to name a successor. Despite serious health concerns, ZANU-PF again endorsed him as its candidate for the 2018 election, however the party has become divided over who will eventually succeed the 93-year-old Mugabe. Opposition supporters have accused the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) of attempting to rig the upcoming 2018 presidential election.

Meanwhile, the Zimbabwean economy is in the midst of a worsening recession due in part to a lack of liquidity and protests are common. Zimbabweans are often forced to wait long hours outside of banks to withdraw cash and the government is currently struggling to pay civil servants.

Advice

Individuals in Zimbabwe are advised to avoid all demonstrations due to the potential for violence and to anticipate heightened security measures.