Let’s Stay At The Polling Stations: Chamisa Defies ZEC

OPPOSITION Nelson Chamisa, the leader of the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC), showed confidence as he assured thousands of his fans yesterday that he has already started choosing his Cabinet and that he will win tomorrow’s harmonised elections.

At his party’s final rally, called Game Over, Chamisa spoke to tens of thousands of supporters at Freedom Square. He asked them to stay at polling places within the allotted 300-meter perimeter to prevent electoral fraud.

“God has remembered Zimbabwe,” Chamisa said. “Congratulations Zimbabwe. God’s plan will never fail. I have already started formulating my Cabinet.”

He added: “There is no way we will not [win]. Some people think there is going to be a repeat of 2018. Not this time. We are not donor-funded. We are funded by the citizens. We will not accept failure by Zec [Zimbabwe Electoral Commission] to fix V11s on polling stations. We will start celebrations on Thursday. Tomorrow [Tuesday] we are tying up loose ends. We have managed to provide polling agents to all the 12 374 polling stations.”

Read: Govt Threatens To Arrest Chamisa Over Results Speech

Addressing thousands of supporters at the Freedom Square during the party’s final rally, dubbed Game Over, Chamisa urged his supporters to remain at polling stations within the permitted 300-metre radius to guard against electoral theft.

Chamisa said he had briefed all the observers’ missions about Zanu PF’s dirty tactics in connivance with Zec to rig the election.

“Let’s guard against theft. Let’s stay at the polling stations, 300 metres away and guard against theft of our vote. There is no rigging that they can do that we are not aware of.

“We have infiltrated in their shenanigans. We have infiltrated the Central Intelligence Organisation, the army, the police, everywhere,” Chamisa said.

He said President Emmerson Mnangagwa was “scared” of the elections, accusing him of gerrymandering boundaries and imposing double candidates on the CCC.

“I have met observers this morning (yesterday) and have briefed them about all these issues,” Chamisa said. “I have also written to Zec this morning [yesterday] demanding the copy of the voters roll that is going to be used in the elections.”

Chamisa said if he wins, he would not take revenge on Mnangagwa.

“To my brother Mr Mnangagwa, I will not strip you of your title as the former president. We are not going to be retributive. We will let bygones be bygones. Where you can help, you can.

“We need to unite and share ideas for the progress of our nation. Those who support Zanu PF, it’s not about political affiliation. Go and vote for your future. Go and vote for jobs for a better economy.”

Mnangagwa and Chamisa will face off against each other after a close battle in 2018 where the opposition leader, then representing the MDC Alliance, challenged the results in the Constitutional Court.

Chamisa has refused to acknowledge Mnangagwa as Zimbabwe’s legitimate leader.

There are eight other presidential candidates in the presidential race.

Mnangagwa and Chamisa have traversed the length and breadth of Zimbabwe pleading for votes while attracting huge crowds at their rallies.

However, Mnangagwa’s Zanu PF have been accused of bussing people to rallies while enticing them with food, drinks and seed as the party flaunted its riches.

Chamisa has, however, attracted Zimbabweans with many observers saying that they attended the rallies of their own volition.