Leaked voter rolls from Mozambique’s 2024 elections appear to confirm that at least two known Zanu-PF activists and numerous Zimbabwean citizens without Mozambican citizenship fraudulently registered—and in some cases voted—in the national election. Investigative reporting by the Southern Africa Accountability Journalism Project revealed that Zanu-PF operatives in Zimbabwe’s Masvingo Province recruited supporters to register as Mozambican diaspora voters, exploiting a legitimate provision allowing overseas citizen participation. Cross-referencing 2,475 names on the Mozambican roll against Zimbabwean electoral databases produced 579 exact matches with confirmed Zimbabwean citizens. The exercise, which benefited Mozambique’s Frelimo party, disenfranchised the country’s electorate. Worse, cross-border electoral manipulation by a ruling party sets a dangerous regional precedent, potentially normalizing interference and undermining Southern African electoral credibility.
Daily Maverick
