Opposition MDC Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa has slammed Africa’s electoral system as a “big circus if not an embarrassment to the continent”, hence the recurrence of disputed polls.

In his 50th Africa Day celebration statement yesterday, Chamisa said the continent was failing to go beyond leaders’ rhetoric because of the “big brother” syndrome, corruption, governance crisis and what he termed “inability to think beyond subsistence and clientalism”.

“With the latest electoral skulduggery and shenanigans on the African continent, electoral politics make Africa a big circus if not an embarrassment.

“As we commemorate Africa Day through formal gatherings, panel discussions, street marches, great speeches by political and social leaders, special university lectures and rallies, we need to pause and reflect in order to give a fuller meaning to this historic day.”

The crisis articulates itself in the failure of Africa’s leaders to rise up to the rectitude of accountability and yardstick of probity,” Chamisa said.