MUTARE – PRESIDENT Emmerson Mnangagwa on Friday took the unusual step of addressing MDC Alliance leader Nelson Chamisa directly – after almost going through the entire campaign without mentioning him by name.

On a day a respected pollster released results of a survey showing a late surge in support for Chamisa, who is now within three points of the Zanu PF leader ahead of elections on July 30, Mnangagwa finally took direct aim at his nemesis.

The Zanu PF leader is unhappy about the pressure being piled on the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) by Chamisa, who accuses the election management body of colluding with Zanu PF.

“There are 55 registered parties in Zimbabwe. There is the MDC-T that was led by [Morgan] Tsvangirai and now led by [Thokozani] Khupe. There is the MDC Alliance led by Nelson Chamisa. But out of all these parties, there’s only one party – the MDC Alliance led by Chamisa – that is complaining about ZEC,” Mnanngagwa said, speaking at a rally held at the Mutare Aerodrome in Sakubva.

“He’s talking about ZEC and complaining about the voters’ roll and the printing of ballot papers. ZEC is a creation of the Constitution of Zimbabwe. ZEC was not born out of Zanu PF. ZEC is chosen from Parliament and Chamisa was a core chairperson of a portfolio committee that came up with ZEC. The government has no control over ZEC and no political party should give instructions to ZEC.”

The Zanu PF leader said ZEC should follow the law and the Electoral Act in its operations.

“If ZEC breaches the Electoral Act, the courts are open,” he said. “On the ballot papers, our names are arranged in alphabetical order and his (Chamisa) name is at the top and my name is on number 15 and l have never said anything,” said Mnangagwa.

“While he is busy complaining and planning demonstrations, as Zanu PF we will be busy campaigning and talking with the people on issues to economically develop our country.”

In Harare, Chamisa said they had written to the SADC chairperson President Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa calling for the regional body’s intervention to compel ZEC to take steps to even the playing field.

The MDC complains that ZEC printed an illegal presidential ballot paper by going against the prescribed design in the Electoral Act; printing ballot papers in secret; withholding the voters roll with pictures; failing to compel state media to give equal coverage to parties and bungling postal voting.

Chamisa said Ramaphosa had written back advising them that their letter was getting “full consideration”. The MDC says it will cause the election to be cancelled if its demands are not met, although no details have so far been released of how the party intends to do this.