MDC-T chief election agent Morgen Komichi yesterday made sensational claims that Zanu PF splashed $100 million to rig the July 31 elections.
REPORT BY HARDLIFE SAMUWI
Komichi, who is currently serving an 11-week community service sentence at Malbereign Clinic for contravening the Electoral Act after he was found in possession of ballot papers, said there was no way his party would have won the elections given the alleged level of rigging.
“Zimbabweans must not blame MDC-T president Morgan Tsvangirai or anyone for the loss during elections,” Komichi said.
“Zanu PF had put in a lot of money to rig the elections and it was a massive project where they put in $100 million, and so do not expect to win an election when a lot of money was involved in the rigging project.”
Listen to our exclusive interview with Komichi below:
However, Zanu PF spokesman Rugare Gumbo dismissed the claims as baseless.
“It’s all nonsense. The harmonised polls are water under the bridge. We are looking at implementing ZimAsset (Zanu PF’s economic blueprint policy document). We are looking at fulfilling the aspirations of the people. We are not talking about the rigging of the elections. In fact that’s the MDC-T mantra,” Gumbo said.
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The MDC-T has since refused to recognise the election results with party leader Morgan Tsvangirai describing the process as a “monumental farce” although Sadc and the African Union have endorsed the elections as “free and credible”.
Komichi was arrested three days before the harmonised elections after he submitted “stray ballot papers” to Zimbabwe Electoral Commission chairperson Justice Rita Makarau.
He was last month slapped with a wholly-suspended 18-month jail term for electoral fraud and ordered to perform 350 hours of community service at Mabelreign Clinic in Harare.
Komichi appealed to his party members to work hard to and plug all holes to ensure that the forthcoming elections scheduled for 2018 are tamper-proof.
Turning to his 97-day incarceration experience at Harare Remand Prison, Komichi paid homage to his family, party members and the private media for giving him moral support.
“My wife was very supportive and used to visit me on a daily basis while I was at Chikurubi Maximum prison. The private media was also supportive of my plight and we should remain a united family to fight oppression,” he said. Komichi said he will be working eight hours per day during his community service, adding this would not deter him from active politics.
Meanwhile, Komichi’s second attempt to have his community service sentence halted pending appeal against both conviction and sentence was thrown out by a Harare magistrate.
