Zimbabwe: Zanu-PF challenges MDC evidence

Zanu-PF challenges the MDC Alliance’s evidence in challenging the outcome of the presidential election.

Zanu-PF, the ruling party in Zimbabwe, has filed documents with the court that are against those of the MDC Alliance, which is contesting the verdict of the polls after the presidential election, reports The Herald newspaper.

At the end of voting operations, official results indicate that President Emmerson Mnangagwa won 50.8% of the vote, compared to 44.3% for opposition leader Neslon Chamisa of the MDC Alliance.

The MDC Alliance claims that the vote was marred by “manipulation and fraud on a large scale”, but the electoral commission insists that there was no “fraud”.

Zanu-PF’s lawyers say the MOC Alliance has filed suit with the courts too late, saying the appeals were filed only Friday afternoon.

“We will show the court that Chamisa’s lawyers had until Friday 10 am [08:00 GMT] to finalize and file the documents related to their complaint,” said Zanu-PF lawyer Lewis Uriri.

Mr. Mnangagwa hoped the elections would legitimize his term after a military intervention that saw Robert Mugabe resign in November as president after 37 years in power.

However, the first post-Mugabe general elections resulted in post-election violence in a tense confrontation between MDC militants and the police.

The protests have left several dead and wounded providing an opportunity for the police to engage in an opposition manhunt.

Nine senior Zimbabwean opposition leaders were hunted for several days, including Tendai Biti, who was accused of “illegally” announcing that his party leader, Nelson Chamisa, had won the presidential election.