News / Local
Chamisa won't accept fake results
12 Aug 2023 at 02:53hrs | Views
OPPOSITION Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) leader Nelson Chamisa yesterday raised the stakes saying he would not accept defeat in the August 23 presidential election, but Zanu-PF accused him of stoking tensions ahead of the polls.
Chamisa, who narrowly lost to President Emmerson Mnangagwa in the disputed 2018 polls, was speaking on HSTV's FreeTalk show yesterday. He said the forthcoming election was his to take.
"Let it be known that there is no way Zanu-PF is going to take leadership in this country," he said.
"We can't lose, we will not accept fake things. Victory is ours. We will win this election.
"Anything that is announced outside our victory is a lie, its fiction."
Zanu-PF acting director of information Farai Marapira said Chamisa ran the risk of stoking political violence.
"When the law states who has won, whether someone agrees with it or not, they will have to get used to the idea," Marapira said when contacted for comment.
"These statements are made to incite, but we know this is the modus operandi of the opposition.
"They are always trying to incite and bring up hatred among the people of Zimbabwe. Clearly, the statements by Chamisa shows that he knows he has lost and he is now trying to prime his supporters for violence."
Mnangagwa last week said he would not lose sleep on election day as he has already won the polls judging by the massive attendance at his star rallies.
Already, the ruling party has won some council seats uncontested after Chamisa's party failed to field candidates.
However, Chamisa said there was no way Mnangagwa could be re-elected.
"That's an impossibility. We are not professors of theory, we talk about practical things," Chamisa said.
"We are the next government, there is no doubt about that. You can go to analysts and professors, those are the ones who can give you different scenarios."
In 2018, Chamisa said the polls were rigged and approached the Constitutional Court for recourse.
He lost the appeal, but refused to concede defeat saying Mnangagwa was illegitimate.
"We will not allow lies to prevail. Lies have always been fought throughout history and we will fight this one," Chamisa said.
"The best court to announce and define an electoral winner is the people's court and electorate.
"That is the highest court in elections, any other court is a surrogate court and we are going to win in that court, the court of the people, the court of public opinion, the citizens court."
Chamisa accused Zanu-PF of banning his rallies and intimidating his supporters fearing an election defeat.
"Zanu-PF doesn't have strongholds. Zanu-PF uses violence, intimidation and terror on our traditional leaders, on our citizens to try and perpetuate their rule," he said.
"We will fight to the last dot. We have always known that the odds are staked against us.
"It doesn't mean that when we participate, we are happy with what's happening."
Chamisa, who narrowly lost to President Emmerson Mnangagwa in the disputed 2018 polls, was speaking on HSTV's FreeTalk show yesterday. He said the forthcoming election was his to take.
"Let it be known that there is no way Zanu-PF is going to take leadership in this country," he said.
"We can't lose, we will not accept fake things. Victory is ours. We will win this election.
"Anything that is announced outside our victory is a lie, its fiction."
Zanu-PF acting director of information Farai Marapira said Chamisa ran the risk of stoking political violence.
"When the law states who has won, whether someone agrees with it or not, they will have to get used to the idea," Marapira said when contacted for comment.
"These statements are made to incite, but we know this is the modus operandi of the opposition.
"They are always trying to incite and bring up hatred among the people of Zimbabwe. Clearly, the statements by Chamisa shows that he knows he has lost and he is now trying to prime his supporters for violence."
Mnangagwa last week said he would not lose sleep on election day as he has already won the polls judging by the massive attendance at his star rallies.
Already, the ruling party has won some council seats uncontested after Chamisa's party failed to field candidates.
"That's an impossibility. We are not professors of theory, we talk about practical things," Chamisa said.
"We are the next government, there is no doubt about that. You can go to analysts and professors, those are the ones who can give you different scenarios."
In 2018, Chamisa said the polls were rigged and approached the Constitutional Court for recourse.
He lost the appeal, but refused to concede defeat saying Mnangagwa was illegitimate.
"We will not allow lies to prevail. Lies have always been fought throughout history and we will fight this one," Chamisa said.
"The best court to announce and define an electoral winner is the people's court and electorate.
"That is the highest court in elections, any other court is a surrogate court and we are going to win in that court, the court of the people, the court of public opinion, the citizens court."
Chamisa accused Zanu-PF of banning his rallies and intimidating his supporters fearing an election defeat.
"Zanu-PF doesn't have strongholds. Zanu-PF uses violence, intimidation and terror on our traditional leaders, on our citizens to try and perpetuate their rule," he said.
"We will fight to the last dot. We have always known that the odds are staked against us.
"It doesn't mean that when we participate, we are happy with what's happening."
Source - newsday
