By A Correspondent
Zimbabwe’s ambassador to Mozambique, Victor Matemadanda, has dismissed recent protests in the country as futile, claiming that those protesting are simply “bitter” and wasting their time.
He asserted that Frelimo’s candidate, Daniel Champ, rightfully won the presidential election.
In a recent statement, Ambassador Matemadanda said that no Zimbabwean nationals participated in the election, refuting claims that Zimbabweans had voted. “No Zimbabwean voted in that election,” he stated categorically.
Despite Matemadanda’s position, reports suggest that some Zimbabweans, particularly those aligned with Zimbabwe’s ruling party ZANU PF, did indeed cast ballots in the Mozambican election.
These votes were reportedly aimed at ensuring Frelimo, a fellow liberation movement, emerged victorious.
The controversy surrounding the election has sparked further calls for transparency.
Opposition leader Venâncio Mondlane has demanded that the Mozambican authorities review the postal votes from Zimbabwe.
Mondlane has formally lodged an appeal with the Mozambican Constitutional Council, requesting that the votes from the Zimbabwean constituency be nullified.
According to Mondlane, 296,519 Zimbabweans “without active electoral capacity” allegedly cast their votes in favor of Frelimo, which he claims was illegal.
Mondlane’s lawyer, Judite Simão, outlined the appeal, stressing that these votes should be deemed invalid. “We are asking for the nullity of the presidential election of October 9 in the constituency of Zimbabweans,” said Simão in a statement.
She pointed to a report by the Southern Africa Human Rights Lawyers High Commission Mozambique, which asserts that these 296,519 votes were cast illegally.
Simão’s appeal includes supporting evidence, such as photos of voter registration cards, and calls for a thorough investigation into whether these voters had dual nationality.
“If there is a will and interest in examining the matter, steps can be taken with the Ministry of the Interior to ascertain whether or not the 296,519 voters are Mozambicans with dual nationality,” the appeal states.