Chamisa should accept defeat

The proclamation by MDC Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa that he won the 30 July Presidential elections is senseless and should not be taken seriously, but dismissed with due contempt.

While presenting his oral evidence before the Commission of Inquiry on the August 1 violence which is being chaired by former South African President, Kgalema Motlanthe, Chamisa recklessly claimed that he had won the elections against President Emmerson Mnangagwa.

However, his announcement was baseless considering that the Constitutional Court of Zimbabwe ruled out that President Mnangagwa was the ultimate presidential winner. In his presentation, Chamisa claimed that he respects the Constitution of Zimbabwe. Had it been that the MDC Alliance leader honestly respects the country's constitution, he should have respected the verdict that was passed by it following his court application challenging the election results.

Chief Emeka Anyaoku who is one of the commissioners at the August 1 Commission of Inquiry questioned Chamisa arguing that one of the most impressing things that he said was that the MDC respects the law but he failed to respect the constitutional court ruling that he was defeated by President Mnangagwa.

It's so shameful that Chamisa as a lawyer and an officer of the court, continue to disrespect the courts with his statements that he won the elections.

From the word go, Chamisa has never shown maturity in his leadership. His leadership led to more divisions within the MDC soon after the death of Tsvangirai leading Vice President Thokozani Khupe to go her own way.

Realising that Chamisa's evidence was shallow and did not have any iota of substance, Chief Emeka Anyaoku told Chamisa that if he was determined to follow on Tsvangirai's footpath he should try to be mature as he was.

The statement by Chief Emeka Anyaoku was a subtle attempt of bringing home the point that Chamisa need to grow up and act maturely.

The MDC Alliance leader is currently lobbing for dialogue with President Mnangagwa whilst at the same time refusing to acknowledge him as president of the country. In other words, the MDC leader is trying by all means to come into the Government through the back door.

Under the new dispensation, President Mnangagwa's creation of a formal "office of the leader of the opposition" was said not to be a personal accommodation for any particular individual, but rather about long-term institution-building in line with the Second Republic's ethos of strengthening democracy in Zimbabwe.

However, it was unfortunate that the Government had offered Chamisa such a post as the leader of opposition in the Parliament but he refused.

It's obvious that Chamisa wants a bigger post in Government, such as Prime Minister but this won't be coming any time soon as President Mnangagwa cannot negotiate with a person who refuses to acknowledge he won the election. In simpler terms, Chamisa should first accept that he was defeated by President Mnangagwa on the July 30 election before any dialogue can take place.

Taking a clue from their leader, MDC Alliance legislators despite being sworn in as members of parliament by President Mnangagwa, do not recognise him as their President.

Recently, MDC deputy president, Elias Mudzuri was harassed by his colleagues for attending the presentation of Parliament's Presiding Officers to President Mnangagwa at State House as they foolishly claimed that they do not recognise his leadership.

If Chamisa wants to earn himself respect, he should just drop his childish and pompous behaviour and admit that the President is a constitutionally elected leader.