Chamisa bombshell raises temperatures

MDC Alliance yesterday claimed President Emmerson Mnangagwa's government had an elaborate strategy to destroy its leader Nelson Chamisa's political career after a Norton woman allegedly pressed rape charges against the late Morgan Tsvangirai's successor.

The rape allegations were first reported by online publications on Friday, but police are yet to confirm if they are investigating Chamisa.

The complainant (name withheld) allegedly claimed that she was attacked by the 2018 presidential election candidate at her home in Norton's Knowe Phase 2 suburb, while returning from jogging around 10pm.

She allegedly told the police that Chamisa just emerged from nowhere and violated her. Repeated efforts to get a comment from the police were fruitless yesterday, but Chamisa's party said it was aware of the "smear campaign".

MDC Alliance spokesperson Jacob Mafume brushed off the rape allegations, saying they had been manufactured by Chamisa's detractors.

"These allegations against president Chamisa are the work of desperate people," he said.

"It is the work of desperate agents and the work of futility that will not derail us.

"We need change in this country in terms of leadership, we need renewal and people are desperate and people need homes and money.

"We need to renew Zimbabwe and we are very clear on that."   

Chamisa is out of the country and the party announced last week that he would be visiting leaders in the region to apprise them of the political situation in Zimbabwe.

A number of senior MDC Alliance officials speaking on condition of anonymity said the allegations proved their claims that Zanu-PF was desperate to stop Chamisa from winning during the May congress.

According to a document being circulated among party leaders, which a source close Chamisa revealed would be presented to diplomats accredited to Zimbabwe, the plot allegedly involves sponsoring candidates to challenge the former student leader.

"The question of the MDC congress is an interesting one because you have heard Mr Mnangagwa and his spokesperson [George Charamba] run amok with it," reads the five-page document.

"Even during the January killings instead of talking about how people were being killed, you saw them go on a diatribe against president Chamisa and talking about the congress.

"You will also notice how they are constantly bringing this matter up on state media including The Herald and ZBC.

"This is regardless of the fact that it is an MDC congress and the government and Zanu-PF have nothing to do with it."

Zanu-PF secretary for legal affairs Paul Mangwana last night said the ruling party had nothing to do with the MDC Alliance's internal fights.

"Zanu-PF members going to MDC? We are not their members and we have no business in their issues," he said.

"Let them divide themselves in their party and if they are divided, they just want to find blame.

"We have nothing to do with MDC, what we only know is that if we meet them at elections, we will defeat them."

Chamisa refused to concede defeat in last year's elections claiming that Mnangagwa manipulated the votes and has been demanding that the Zanu-PF leader must pave way for him.