By JOHN SAKALA
Southern African Development Community (SADC) Alternate Head of Electoral Observer Mission to the 2019 General election of the Republic of South Africa, Kabinga Pande says the campaign environment for the forth-coming elections in that country has generally remained peaceful.
Mr Pande, who is also Zambia’s former Foreign Affairs Minister says his observer mission team has not encountered any problems to rise concern so far.
He was speaking in Pretoria South Africa when he met the Electoral Institute for Sustainable Democracy in Africa( EISA) Head of Election observer Mission, Goodluck Jonathan who is also Nigeria’s former President.
Mr Pande said that the SADC Electoral Observer Mission (SEOM) has so far managed to deploy all its 48 personnel across the provinces of South Africa.
He mentioned that the SADC team would release its preliminary electoral report on the 10th of May 2019 covering the pre-election and voting periods.
“A final SADC election report would be published within thirty days after the elections. Our team has been holding consultative meetings with various political parties and government institutions to ensure that elections were conducted peacefully,” he said.
And EISA Team leader Dr Jonathan said his Mission is comprised of 37 international observers drawn from Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) election management bodies and regional Communities.
He expressed satisfaction with the election management preparations by the elections body over the preparations of the forth coming general election.
President Edgar Lungu, in his capacity as SADC Chairman on Politics, Peace and Security appointed a 48 man observer mission from the 10 SADC member countries to observe the National and Provincial Elections of South Africa.
He also appointed Zambia’s Foreign Affairs Minister Joseph Malanji as Head of the Mission while Former Zambia’s Former Foreign Affairs Minister Kapinga Pande as Alternate head of mission.
About 26.7 million South Africans have registered to cast their vote with over 22 thousand polling stations established across the country to facilitate the voting process.
This is according to a media statement by First Secretary for Press and Public Relations at the Zambian Embassy in South Africa Naomi Nyawali.
