HARARE – President Emmerson Mnangagwa said his door was open to opposition rival Nelson Chamisa after the Constitutional Court confirmed his election win on Friday, but Chamisa’s MDC Alliance appeared in no mood to congratulate the Zanu PF leader.
Mnangagwa tweeted shortly after the Constitutional Court confirmed him as President, throwing out a legal challenge mounted by his 40-year-old opposition rival.
“I once again reiterate my call for peace and unity above all. Nelson Chamisa, my door is open and my arms outstretched, we are one nation, and we must put our nation first,” Mnangagwa tweeted.
He added: “Let us all now put our differences behind us. It is time to move forward together.”
Chamisa’s MDC Alliance is wary of Mnangagwa’s social media pronouncements, which the party says are posted by a PR firm and do not necessarily have any connection with reality.
The “door is open” statement would have come as a surprise to Chamisa, who wrote to Mnangagwa seeking a meeting during the campaign but was rebuffed.
In a statement on Friday, the MDC Alliance said the decision by the Constitutional Court was “manifestly unjust”, adding: “We will not congratulate criminals, nor will we accept that they have won anything.”
I hear your cries & feel your pain. I know you feel cheated, but take heart — your victory is not lost. Your will is sacred & we’ll listen to you on the path of peace & course of action to be taken to rescue our beautiful Zimbabwe from the jaws of poverty, corruption & dishonesty
— Nelson Chamisa (@nelsonchamisa) August 24, 2018
The MDC urged its supporters to be “calm,” but said would “over the next few days… be announcing a vigorous programme of action in response to this electoral theft.”
“Specifically, we are going to show Mr Mnangagwa and the world that the peaceful masses have rejected him. They will never accept him. Our constitution is our shield and the rights expressed therein will be utilised to the full extent of the law,” the party added.
The election, in which Mnangagwa and Chamisa were the main contenders, was touted as a crucial step toward shedding Zimbabwe’s pariah reputation and securing international donor funding to revive an economy suffering chronic shortages of investment and cash, as well as high unemployment.
An army crackdown in response to post-election protests by opposition supporters left seven people dead on August 1, recalling the heavy-handed security tactics that marked the 37-year rule of former President Robert Mugabe, who was removed in a coup last November.
Mnangagwa now faces the challenge of persuading the international community that the army crackdown and lapses in the election process will not derail his promise of reforms to overcome corruption and mismanagement under Mugabe.
Finance Minister Patrick Chinamasa told Reuters that Mnangagwa would be inaugurated on Sunday.
At Zanu PF’s offices, hundreds of supporters in the party’s green and yellow colours followed Malaba’s judgment on television, erupting into song and dance after their candidate was confirmed as president.
“He won the battle,” a supporter told Reuters TV, adding that while Mnangagwa’s enemies were trying their best, “they fail”.
MDC Secretary General Douglas Mwonzora told reporters outside the court that “whatever we do as MDC we are going to act within the law … We want Zimbabweans who want to demonstrate to be allowed to demonstrate.”
Outside the party’s office, one MDC member questioned the judges’ verdict. “It was not fair, they were favouring one side – Zanu PF. The MDC had enough evidence but it was not considered,” he said.
Police blocked roads around the court, a 19th century British colonial building just opposite Mnangagwa’s offices in central Harare. Vehicles carrying water cannon reappeared on streets near the court house while riot police patrolled the city center in groups.
Harare was calm immediately after the ruling, with people going about their usual business.
In a statement, the European Union urge all parties to “call for calm and restraint” after the court ruling.
“It is important that the new government engages all stakeholders in substantive discussions on the necessary reforms, including on further electoral reforms,” the EU said.
Before the ruling, the head of the Zimbabwe Council of Churches said it was speaking to senior leaders from Zanu PF and the MDC to facilitate negotiations.
“We have been reaching out to both political parties to their highest level of leadership for us to explore a possibility of some form of dialogue,” General Secretary Kenneth Mtata said.
(Additional reporting Reuters)
