By Chengeto Chidi
The African National Congress(ANC) has told the main opposition to approach the courts to settle their discrepancies concerning the harmonised elections results.
Speaking at a press conference held at the ZANU-PF headquarters on Tuesday ANC Secretary Fikile Mbalula endorsed the elections results and urged those who are disputing elections to approach the courts to settle this
“People came out in their numbers , the campaigning was very vibrant and the Zimbabwean people have spoken, the democratic outcome must be respected,
Should anyone dispute the elections, Zimbabwe has got a constitution, they have got a law, it’s a sovereign country,” he said.
In response to the SADC election observer report which claimed that the elections were not free and fair considering the conditions and conduct during the election which was marred by late distribution of ballot papers in the urban areas, ZEC’s unpreparedness and people missing their names in the voters roll, Mbalula said that observers need to respect Zimbabwe’s decisions
“Disputes must be settled within the Zimbabwe’s democratic dispensation,
“We respect that, we know that there are observer missions that have raised their own views about how the elections have been conducted, they are entitled to that but we must respect sovereignty of the countries,” he said.
He endorsed the results by ZEC at the same time dismissing the views raised by SADC individuals saying even their observations can also be disputed too
“You don’t impose your will on another country, you simply raise your views for the country to respond to those and observations can also be disputed by those who run the elections,”
“Zimbabwe Electoral Commission ran the elections and pronounced on the outcome of the elections and we respect the will of the people and that’s what’s important,” he said.
He also stressed that South Africa does not run Zimbabwe and Zimbabwe will not run South Africa and that they respect everybody and their observer missions but at the end of the day the ANC subscribe to the sovereignty of nation.
The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission also defended the results at the same time the winning ZANU-PF also defended the results and even proceeded to hold the presidential inauguration which the ANC Secretary was in the country to attend along with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa.
After the press conference he proceeded to visit the Liberation Museum on a tour with ZANU-PF Secretary for External Affairs Simbarashe Mumbengegwi.
Main opposition Citizens Coalition for Change however did not agree with the ANC stance on the results as the spokesperson Promise Mkwanazi in a statement released said that Mbalula was biased and not being diplomatic
“We note with concern Mr Mbalula’s bizarre biases and proactive involvement in ZANU-PF political process. We urge Mr Mbalula to put back his Diplomatic jacket and abstain from doing the bidding for ZANU-PF in trying to reverse or undermine the SADC damning report on Zimbabwe’s sham election,” he said.
He also said that he was violating democracy in his views and that South Africa has a role to play in addressing the dispute
“Mr Mbalula’s conduct is in violation of the values and principles of democracy, Pan-Africanism and Ubuntu, We still believe that South Africa must play a key role in resolving the Zimbabwean stalemate and Mr Mbalula’s conduct undermines this imperative,”
Regardless of the issue that the Bulawayo City Council has already sworn in legislators, and Harare is set to swear in Members of Parliament as well as Council on 7 September, Mkwanazi said that they want another election conducted in order to stabilise things and that they will be engaging formally with ANC
“It is our considered view that Zimbabwe needs to conduct a fresh, free and fair election underwritten by SADC and AU as the only route towards political stabilisation and legitimacy,
We will soon be writing formally to the ANC to remonstrate on this issue,” he shared.