Mnangagwa, Chamisa engage in show of force

President Emmerson Mnangagwa and opposition leader Nelson Chamisa wound up their campaigns by mounting massive rallies in Harare yesterday, ahead of tomorrow's watershed national elections, with both heavyweights optimistic of winning the right to occupy the highest political office in the country.

Yesterday's rallies marked the end of the campaign period and Harare was a sea of red as MDC Alliance supporters gave the youthful presidential candidate the thumbs-up.

Chamisa told his supporters that he was confident of upstaging Mnangagwa in the watershed elections.

"Today we are celebrating. Change is inevitable, victory is certain. If we miss our chance on Monday, we are doomed for life," he said.

The former student leader said he held 82 campaign rallies since he took over from the late Morgan Tsvangirai and three-quarters of them were in rural areas.

Tens of thousands of people from Harare Metropolitan province yesterday thronged the National Sports Stadium for Mnangagwa's final 2018 harmonised elections rally, with Zanu-PF's Presidential candidate saying Zimbabwe was on the verge of something special should he - as several surveys have indicated - win tomorrow's poll.

The Head of State and Government spoke of the "winds of freedom which have blown across Zimbabwe" in the seven months he has been in office, and enjoined the electorate to give him a five-year mandate to proceed with the socio-economic transformation he has overseen thus far.

Addressing the 40 000-strong crowd at the gathering dubbed "Victory Rally", President Mnangagwa said: "I say to you Zimbabwe is born afresh on Monday. This coming Monday we will win the elections. We are voting for the future."

Meanwhile, Mnangagwa's campaign manager Sibusiso Moyo said all the candidates must accept the outcome of tomorrow's polls even if the results were not in their favour.