Chamisa prepares report for SADC leaders

Opposition leader Nelson Chamisa, facing a significant loss of political influence since last year’s elections, has now resorted to spreading misinformation and deceit in a desperate bid to remain relevant. After his defeat, Chamisa has allegedly fabricated a false inquest report that baselessly claims the election results were rigged against him.

This report was reportedly intended for distribution among select SADC leaders at the ongoing summit in Harare, as well as to foreign entities that have historically opposed Zimbabwe. The aim was to spread these allegations under the guise of a thorough investigation into the electoral process, although the report was allegedly prepared hastily and lacks credible evidence.

The scheme involved two unnamed civic society organizations (CSOs) that were supposed to present the report as an independent inquiry into last year’s elections. However, this move appears to be part of a broader strategy to undermine the credibility of the Second Republic. Other elements of this strategy allegedly included staging fake abductions and organizing violent protests to create an image of instability.

Chamisa’s supposed inquiry claims that certain members within the ruling Zanu-PF party confided in him, admitting that the party had conducted an internal audit post-election, which allegedly revealed that they did not win the elections fairly. The report suggests that these individuals were dissatisfied with the party's leadership and the decision to manipulate the results.

According to the report, this faction within Zanu-PF expressed a willingness to cooperate with external bodies to ensure electoral integrity and justice in the future. The report paints a picture of internal discord within the ruling party, suggesting that there is significant discontent with its current direction.

However, Zanu-PF has dismissed these claims as nothing more than desperate attempts by the opposition to discredit the last election. The party's Director of Information, Farai Marapira, emphasized that Zanu-PF is not involved in the operations of the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) and that the opposition should present the V11 forms, which are the official election records, to support any claims of irregularities.

The opposition’s report is seen as a regurgitation of previous unproven claims about election manipulation, which have failed to hold up under scrutiny. It repeats allegations about irregularities in the voter roll, including the presence of deceased persons, duplicate entries, and fake addresses, all of which have been previously debunked.

Additionally, the report claims that Chamisa's party, the CCC, had installed CCTV cameras at polling stations and gathered evidence of ballot box stuffing and the removal of opposition ballots. These accusations were supposedly backed by eyewitness testimonies and CCTV footage, although the credibility of this evidence remains questionable.

The report also alleges that ruling party supporters engaged in voter intimidation, threatening opposition voters with violence or economic consequences if they did not support Zanu-PF. Furthermore, it claims that the electronic systems used to report election results were hacked or otherwise compromised.

This fabricated inquiry was allegedly designed to coincide with the SADC Summit, with the intention of influencing the regional body to consider ordering a rerun of the elections. The report appears to be part of a coordinated effort to tarnish the image of the current government and question the legitimacy of last year’s electoral process.

Despite these efforts, Chamisa has not responded to inquiries from The Herald regarding these allegations, further casting doubt on the authenticity and motives behind the report.