Chamisa vs Democracy

The recent Afrobarometer fascinating survey results show voters preferences ahead of the 2018 harmonised elections slated for 30 July, are a great display of representative democracy. With less than two weeks to go, according to the survey 40 percent of voters prefer President Emmerson Mnangagwa to the opposition MDC Alliance's 37 percent.

This means that are country is fairly evenly split, yet with a clear preference for President Mnangagwa. However, with 20 percent of those polled say they are as of this moment, undecided. Meaning, that the election can still be won and lost by either side in the days remaining.

However, the survey shows that the real winners will be the Zimbabwean people.

According to the survey, 86% of eligible voters (and 97% of registered voters) said they were "probably" or "definitely" going to vote. This means that the overwhelming majority of Zimbabwean citizens will exercise their democratic right and civic duty, and thus have a high confidence that this time their voice will be heard and their votes counted.

Zimbabweans have expressed optimism that they are free to voice their opinions without fear of reprisals and violence.

This truly is a new Zimbabwe.

Nevertheless, there is someone who still wishes to rain on this parade despite the understandable excitement about the upcoming elections.

Nelson Chamisa for some time now has expressly indicated that he believes he has such overwhelming support that we should just cancel the elections and just move him to State House. He is so confident of unprecedented, impossible, and now according to a reputable poll like Afrobarometer, highly unrealistic support that he even bet the president his sister that he will reach 70 percent of the vote.

The Afrobarometer poll shows him doing exceedingly well to reach around half of that number.

In recent weeks, when the reality of the situation has set in at the MDC camp that they are not going to achieve these impossible numbers and, according to all polls, is on course to lose, they have tried to have the elections canceled or at least delegitimised in the eyes of the people.

Chamisa and his close circle of supporters have threatened ZEC officials, called for foreigners to undertake the elections knowing that is impossible and unprecedented and made absurd accusations about ballot papers, ghost voters and any number of unproven claims knowing that if you throw enough muck something is bound to stick sooner or later.

So far, the Zimbabwean people have shown that they are not buying what Chamisa is selling. They believe in these elections and they have faith in democracy. They are also excited about such a closely run race.

Chamisa should be spending his time making final presentations to the people about what kind of president he would be and what his vision of Zimbabwe over the next five years would look like.

Attacking the elections and those who are running it at this late stage is a ploy. He has raised ridiculous expectation by his previous statements that he cannot possibly match, so, like a spoiled child who is losing a game, he throws the board into the air so it can't continue.

Zimbabweans want free and fair elections and we believe that is what we will receive on July 30. Will it be perfect? No, there is no such thing anywhere in the world. However, we do believe that the results will reflect the will of the people.

This is a celebration of democracy and freedom. Yet, there seems to be one person who is not only not joining the party, he is trying to ruin it for the rest of us.

Chamisa, like it or not, this is our moment, for the people of Zimbabwe.

So please don't ruin it for us!