MDC-T takes poll rigging “evidence” to SADC

MDC-T is expected to take its election fight to the regional bloc following the revelations by Tsvangirai during his address at the party’s 14th anniversary in Mutare.

Though the move has been met with mixed feelings by party supporters and political analysts, the opposition party is banking on the dossier to change the SADC’s position regarding the polls.

Party spokesperson Douglas Mwonzora reaffirmed his party’s position in exposing the “shenanigans used by Zanu (PF) to subvert the will of the people”.

Before the results were officially released by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission, the main opposition parties were already calling the polls heavily flawed.

MDC-T, which was the biggest threat to Zanu (PF)’s hold on power attempted to fight the election results in the Constitutional Court before withdrawing the case when their bid to present election irregularities hit a brick wall.

Mwonzora said they had a dossier citing how Zanu (PF) “rigged the July 31 elections”.

It alleges that Zanu (PF) paid a shadowy company, Nikuv, millions of dollars to rig the election. It also alleges that the election was militarised, beginning with the deployment of military personnel such as former Air Vice Marshall Henry Muchena and several former intelligence officials.

It further alleges that 35,000 young people were trained and deployed, specifically in Harare, and throughout Matabeleland and Manicaland.

It also claims that there was high displacement of voters, mass printing of unaccounted ballots, fake voters’ slips and abuse of the power of traditional leaders in instilling fear in the electorate.

“We are going ahead with our plans to approach SADC because we discovered that the election was infiltrated by members of the security forces. The military and securocrats were taking part in the rigging of the elections,” said Mwonzora.

“We must always put the truth on the table. SADC must know the truth, whether they choose to ignore it or not,” he added

Trevor Mazani, a political analyst, believes MDC-T has run out of esteem and these are the “last kicks of a dying horse”.

“What the MDC-T is doing is a sheer waste of time. They are planning to go to SADC fully knowing the outcome of their attempt. The party is in dire need of strategists and advisors, as they are continuing to make too many blunders. What the MDC-T should do is to go back to the drawing board and focus on re-gaining the faith of its grassroots,” said Mazani.

However, David Mutambirwa is of the view that MDC-T might throw itself another lifeline if it manages to prove beyond doubt to SADC that the election was rigged.