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HARARE, Zimbabwe — A former ruling- party loyalist who clashed with President Robert Mugabe over economic policy announced Tuesday he would run against Mugabe as an independent in next month’s presidential election, hoping to galvanize others disillusioned with the party.
Victory in the March 29 vote has been seen as a foregone conclusion for Mugabe, 83, and the ruling ZANU-PF party. So the challenge by former finance minister Simba Makoni, 57, gave the election a new dimension.
Opponents blame Mugabe for an economic meltdown that has left Zimbabwe with the world’s highest official inflation of 26,470 percent and acute shortages of gasoline, hard currency food and most basic goods.
