Army on high alert to deal with Chamisa threats

STATE security agents are on high alert to deal with opposition MDC Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa's threat to unseat President Emmerson Mnangagwa, a top government official warned yesterday.

This came after Chamisa on Saturday told thousands of his supporters at the opposition party's 19th anniversary celebrations at Gwanzura Stadium in Harare that plans were afoot to pile pressure on Mnangagwa and force him out before year-end.

Mnangagwa won presidential elections in July with a 50,67% margin against Chamisa's 44,3%, but the opposition leader rejected the presidential result, arguing Zanu PF and the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission had colluded to give the ruling party candidate an undeserved "win".

Chamisa challenged the result at the Constitutional Court, but lost the petition on a technicality after he failed to back his case with primary evidence.

But the youthful politician has insisted that he was the July 30 poll winner and, at the weekend, threatened to organise a march to Mnangagwa's official residence to "unseat him".

Information deputy minister Energy Mutodi warned of dire consequences if Chamisa carried out his threat.

"The State security apparatus is on high alert and is prepared to deal with any incidences of violence and public disorder," Mutodi said.

"Let those mulling to cause anarchy and to disturb peace be warned that they will live to regret, as the full wrath of the law will catch up with them."

Chamisa hinted that he was secretly plotting a march against Mnangagwa.

"We are going to be organising ourselves internally, then we go to programmes that we want to do throughout the country from next week," the youthful leader said.

"I will be going to every area, where I will be setting out the plan, something big in this country — hold your cards on the intended march to State House from this venue."

The protests, Chamisa told cheering supporters, would be modelled along the Arab Spring that toppled dictators in Egypt, Tunisia and Algeria in 2011.

The opposition leader said once all was in place, there would be no holding back.

"When we do this, we want to have a clear plan on what date we start and to the day we end. We will not go back home until we achieve the intended plan. We will show Mnangagwa the power that people have," he threatened.

Mnangagwa has rejected Chamisa's demands for a transitional authority to facilitate the reform agenda and level the political playfield.

According to Chamisa, Mnangagwa reneged on an agreement made with the late former Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai to set up a transitional government, a move that would have suspended the July 30 elections for an agreed period.