IGNORE FAKE HERALD NEWSPAPER STORY. SADC DID NOT GO WITH MR CHAMISA TO VOTE.- DR. NEVERS MUMBA

Ubuntu ReporterAugust 26, 2023August 26, 2023

We would like to distance SADC from insinuations that Myself, and some members of our team escorted Presidential Candidate Nelson Chamisa to the polling station to vote.

The role of the SADC Observation group and others is to observe the electoral process, to be impartial and to report on the observations we make. We are expected to interact with both sides of the political devide, in this case the ruling and the opposition parties. This is exactly what we have done.

Our team under my leadership paid a courtesy call on both President Mnangagwa and CCC leader Nelson Chamisa and his leadership during our time here. We also met with ZANU-PF Secretatry General Mr Mpofu and his team at their party headquarters.

On voting day our SADC team based in Harare was split into three groups to observe the actual election. One of the polling stations we observed was the one Mr Chamisa voted from.

He found our team and other observers at the polling station where he came to vote and he left us there. Our team neither made contact with, nor exchanged any word with, Mr Chamisa.

Our plans were to observe equally to pay a visit to the polling station where President Mnangagwa was scheduled to Vote from, but later disvovered that he had instead gone gone to Kwekwe where he voted from. Nonetheless, even in Kwekwe, Our able team of observers stationed there were able to observe President Mnangagwa’s voting in his home town.

We are deeply disappointed by the insinuations made by the Herald Newspaper that we accompanied CCC Candidate, Mr. Chamisa to his polling station to vote. This a malicious, fabricated falsity that is aimed at attracting an audience through sensational reporting. I wish to distance myself, and the SADC team from these insinuations.

The SADC OBSERVATION MISSION Team is in Zimbabwe to do but one thing, and that is to provide Objective, Fair and Factual independent Observation on the on going Electoral Process and this remains our core objective and commitment.

DR. NEVERS MUMBA,

FORMER VICE PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF ZAMBIA
HEAD OF THE SADC ELECTORAL OBSERVATION MISSION