Own Correspondent|NKULULEKO Sibanda, the spokesperson for MDC leader Nelson Chamisa, has said the ruling party ZANU-PF rigged its way to victory in the Cowdray Park by-election.
Sibanda says ZANU-PF took advantage of the fact that Chamisa was focusing on the cyclone Idai-induced humanitarian situation in Chimanimani to rig the election, although he did not specify how.
“Look, we blinked and the rigging machine took advantage. This is primarily because the President (Chamisa) focused on the Cyclone and humanitarian situation. Be rest assured, President Chamisa will look into this,” Sibanda said Sunday on Twitter.
Sibanda’s statement contradicts that of MDC founding member David Coltart, who ruled out rigging in Saturday’s defeat of the MDC by ZANU-PF in ward 28 Cowdray Park by-elections.
Coltart bemoaned the fact that the MDC has moved away from its founding values of 1999 where it was grounded on principles of social democracy. He said ZANU-PF will continue winning as long the opposition party remained at sixes-and-sevens when it comes to ideology.
“You can’t tell us that Zanu-PF has rigged the Cowdray Park by-election. Try another excuse,” seasoned journalist Brezhnev Malaba said.
To which Coltart concurred: “This is correct. As flawed as our electoral system is this loss can not be blamed on rigging. Until everyone in the MDC rekindles the original vision of the party established on 11/9/99 we will allow ZANU-PF to rule in places where they are actually detested by the majority.”
Earlier on, former ZANU-PF propagandist Jonathan Moyo, who since last year has been a strong supporter of Nelson Chamisa, said the MDC had disconnected from the people who actually vote.
“The MDC Alliance has disconnected with Bulawayo voters. Time was when for every three registered voters in Bulawayo, two were MDC. The writing is on the wall: if the MDC-Alliance leadership does not introspect on this & reconnect with Bulawayo voters, trouble lies ahead!”
The MDC led by Nelson Chamisa fielded Collet Ndhlovu and Nomagugu Mloyi after failing to reach a consensus on who to represent the part. ZESN (2019) reports that ZANU PF decided to field Mujuru who lost the 2018 elections.
The MDC Alliance held primary elections which were won by a former Councilor, Collet Ndhlovu.
The disputed outcome of the primary elections resulted in more than one candidate from MDC Alliance filing their nomination papers with the Nomination Court.
Collet Ndhlovu and Nomagugu Mloyi represented the party in the by-elections and both of them polled 1450 votes combined, against 1899 by the ruling party candidate.