Chamisa hits back at Mnangagwa

MDC Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa yesterday said the era of leaders who abuse State institutions to illegally stay in power was over, warning President Emmerson Mnangagwa that opposition supporters would in 2023 defend their vote against rigging.

Chamisa was responding to Mnangagwa's utterances in Mutare on Thursday where he said recent events in Zambia where opposition leader Hakainde Hichilema won against incumbent President Edgar Lungu would not happen in Zimbabwe.

"That is Ian Smith's not in a thou-sand years mentality" Chamisa told NewsDay Weekender.

"No abuse of electoral bodies, police, military and intelligence services shall be accepted or tolerated. Our liberation struggle was about one-man-one-vote and we the people meaning power to the people. We are next (to) win Zimbabwe for change."

Chamisa added: "The people shall govern. In our own traditional wisdom, there is an idiom that says ubukhosi ngamazolo or ushe madzoro literally meaning that leadership occurs in turns. The era of strong men or those who refuse to go and abuse State institutions is over."

Mnangagwa told scores of people including his supporters and government officials in Mutare during the commissioning of a Verify Engineering gas plant in Feruka that those wishing for an opposition victory in Zimbabwe were dreaming.

"Let me tell you even before you ask me, if anyone dreams of what happened in Zambia happening in Zimbabwe, come back to your senses and brew some beer," Mnangagwa said to loud cheers from party supporters and senior officials.

Hichilema's United Party for National Development shocked Lungu's Patriotic Front in elections held in Zambia last Thursday. The former opposition leader will be sworn in on Tuesday in Lusaka, Zambia.