Mmusi Maimane, a former leader of South Africa’s Democratic Alliance (DA) and opposition Member of Parliament, has warned Zimbabwe’s ruling party, ZANU PF, that it could be the next to face defeat, following the Botswana Democratic Party’s (BDP) loss in the October 30 elections.
The BDP, which had held power for 58 years, was overwhelmingly defeated by the opposition Umbrella for Democratic Change (UDC), led by Duma Gideon Boko. This result mirrors a broader trend seen across the region, where long-standing ruling parties have recently lost their dominance.
Maimane pointed to other similar setbacks for ruling parties, such as the African National Congress (ANC) in South Africa, which lost its majority for the first time in 2024, and opposition victories in Zambia and Malawi, where leaders Hakainde Hichilema and Lazarus Chakwera triumphed over incumbents.
However, in Mozambique, FRELIMO retained power, but not without controversy, as several deaths were reported in the aftermath of the elections.
Maimane highlighted the support ZANU PF extended to the BDP during Botswana’s election campaign, noting that the Zimbabwean party sent senior figures, including legal secretary Patrick Chinamasa, to back Masisi’s bid. Maimane remarked that despite ZANU PF’s efforts, the Botswanan electorate chose a different path, declaring, “ZANU PF is next.”
In the aftermath of the Botswana election, Zimbabwe’s President Emmerson Mnangagwa was quick to congratulate FRELIMO in Mozambique, but was notably slower in offering congratulations to Boko after his victory in Botswana. Mnangagwa’s congratulatory message for the Botswana opposition leader was eventually delivered by Foreign Minister Amon Murwira, rather than by the president himself.
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