The Zimbabwean Parliament has given its approval for a significant hike in the fees required from prospective presidential candidates, raising the amount from $1,000 to $20,000.

The opposition has criticized this decision as discriminatory, claiming it violates the country’s Constitution.

Fadzayi Mahere, spokesperson for the main opposition party, the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC), expressed concerns that these fees marginalize and exclude individuals based on their economic status, particularly disadvantaging the poor.

The upcoming presidential and parliamentary elections are scheduled for August 23. Incumbent President Emmerson Mnangagwa, who took office in 2017 following Robert Mugabe’s rule, faces opposition leader Nelson Chamisa.

The opposition argues that the steep increase in candidacy fees benefits the ruling ZANU-PF party, as they believe it has greater financial resources.

Opposition groups have raised concerns about recent legislation that criminalizes acts deemed detrimental to national sovereignty and interests, viewing it as a potentially restrictive and ambiguous law that may hinder political freedoms in the run-up to the elections.