Political Reporter
In a scathing analysis, Professor Jonathan Moyo has publicly questioned the credibility of Nelson Chamisa's claims regarding the 2023 presidential election results.
According to Professor Moyo, recent data from analyst Freeman Chari, though delayed, supports the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission’s (ZEC’s) official results and casts serious doubt on Chamisa's assertion that he won the election.
Professor Moyo highlighted several key points in his statement, beginning with Chamisa's failure to produce the V11 forms—official polling station results—which the opposition leader claimed would prove his victory.
During a press conference in August 2023, Chamisa stated, "We reject this sham result and flawed process based on the disputed figures. We have our V11s. I have asked our teams to bring those V11s. I'm not so sure if they are here so that you can see them. We have brought V11s from across the whole country. And those V11s are going to be the basis of our assertion. We have won this election."
However, Professor Moyo argued that Chamisa’s inability to make these forms public raises serious questions about the validity of his claims.
“Chamisa did not approach the Constitutional Court to challenge the 2023 presidential election result announced by ZEC because he did not have the V11s to back up his claim,” Professor Moyo asserted.
Additionally, Professor Moyo criticized the opposition's reliance on the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Election Observation Mission (SEOM) report, suggesting it was used as a substitute for hard evidence.
“As former Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan has repeatedly explained, no such mission has the capacity, mandate, authority, or power to replace the judiciary of any country to invalidate an election,” Professor Moyo emphasized.
Professor Moyo further noted that, despite political pressure from Chamisa, most Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) Members of Parliament elected in 2023 chose to remain in Parliament.
According to Professor Moyo, these MPs had the necessary V11 forms to validate their electoral victories, unlike Chamisa, who, Moyo claims, lacked evidence to support his claim of winning the presidency.
Political commentator Tinashe Mbudzi criticized Chamisa’s approach, stating, “Chamisa’s failure to present the V11 forms is a significant oversight. If you claim to have won, you must be prepared to present concrete evidence. His reluctance to do so weakens his position and raises doubts even among his supporters.”
Media analyst Petronella Nyathi pointed out the implications of relying on external reports rather than concrete local evidence.
“While international observation missions provide important oversight, they cannot replace the need for tangible proof from within the country. The reliance on the SADC report instead of V11s undermines the credibility of the opposition’s claims,” Nyathi said.
As questions about the election linger, Chamisa faces increasing pressure to substantiate his claims with solid evidence.
