People by the thousands risk crocodile attacks, robbery, drowning and arrest to cross the Limpopo River from Zimbabwe to South Africa, part of a booming migrant economy.
The country needs a free and fair election to escape Western sanctions. But voting got off to a rough start, with late openings at polling places and fliers spreading misinformation.
Nurses, doctors and workers of all kinds are seeking to escape the country’s economic turmoil, an issue that has become a central theme in the election scheduled for Wednesday.
At a summit in St. Petersburg, Russia, President Vladimir V. Putin offered free grain as he sought to shore up ties with the continent. But lower-than-hoped-for attendance among African leaders hinted at tempering support.