CCC leader Nelson Chamisa has accused President Emmerson Mnangagwa of attempting to “fix” next month’s elections by blocking 12 of his candidates from standing in Bulawayo.
Addressing a rally in Marondera, Chamisa blasted Mnangagwa, claiming he has turned to the courts after “feeling the heat” from CCC.
He fumed: “After feeling the heat, Mnangagwa has turned to the courts. In Bulawayo, he has barred our candidates.”
The 12 candidates had their nomination papers nullified by a High Court judge on a technicality, despite Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) saying they were submitted on time.
Chamisa declared: “If you bar the 12 candidates from contesting, therefore, you have nullified the election. If you have nullified the election, it means you are no longer the President.”
He accused Mnangagwa of staging a “coup on the ballot” and a “vote of no confidence in ZEC”.
Chamisa also hit out at the barring of Saviour Kasukuwere from standing as an independent presidential candidate, claiming Zanu-PF was “weaponising the law”.
And he blasted Mnangagwa for allegedly forcing traditional leaders to campaign for Zanu PF in rural areas.
“I was in rural Silobela recently, village heads confided in me that they are being forced to campaign for Zanu PF, that is wrong,” Chamisa said.
The race for State House is now down to just Chamisa and Mnangagwa after Kasukuwere was barred by the courts from running.
But Chamisa is crying foul play, accusing Mnangagwa of dirty tricks to fix the result even before a vote is cast.
Will ZEC and the courts stand firm, or is this election doomed to be marred by controversy?
