MDC leader hails Sadc for not congratulating Mnangagwa

By Blessings Mashaya

Opposition leader Nelson Chamisa yesterday hailed southern African leaders for not congratulating President-elect Emmerson Mnangagwa at a summit in Namibia held last week.

Heads of State from the 16-nation Sadc met for its 38th summit in Windhoek and in a communiqué, ignored Mnangagwa’s victory despite congratulating Angolan President Joao Lourenco and his Movement for the Popular Liberation of Angola (MPLA) party’s recent electoral victory.

“To our colleagues in Sadc, I want to really appreciate the position that they took. They did not congratulate Zanu PF, they did not congratulate Mnangagwa because they know he has not won,” Chamisa told a news conference at the party’s HQ in central Harare yesterday.

“I am really happy with that position. Some may want to say Mnangagwa was given the position of deputy chairperson of Sadc Organ Troika.

That position is given to a country; it is not Mnangagwa’s position.

“I will take up that position as head of State once the process is confirmed.

“We don’t want people who celebrate nothing and want to make it something.

“He has not been not been appointed, there is no confidence in him even from Sadc.

“That’s why he came back empty-handed. (Angola) President Joao Lourenco and MPLA were congratulated not Mnangagwa because they know that he has not won this election. The people have voted and they cheated.”

Sadc, however, urged Zimbabweans to remain calm while the legal process regarding the outcome of the elections that are being considered by the courts continues.

“To Sadc, please help us to heal the division in the country to cure the illegitimacy, crisis that we have,” Chamisa said.

“Sadc must come in and we start to negotiate a respectable exit of Mnangagwa and respectable exit of those who were voted out.”  –DailyNews