Let’s Put Differences Aside, Build Nation: President-elect

25 AUG, 2018 - 12:08
Zimbabwe Herald

President-elect Emmerson Mnangagwa during a state of the nation address last night. Picture by John Manzongo

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Senior Reporter

President-elect Cde Emmerson Mnangagwa yesterday said the conduct of the Constitutional Court (Concourt) was clear testimony that Zimbabwe has a high level of jurisprudence and patriotic citizens should now put differences behind them and expend energy on nation-building.

The full Concourt bench yesterday unanimously upheld Cde Mnangagwa’s victory in the July 30 harmonised elections, throwing away a feeble application by MDC-Alliance leader Mr Nelson Chamisa, which sought to have the election result set aside.

Cde Mnangagwa garnered 50,67 percent of the total votes cast while Mr Chamisa got 44,3 percent.
In an interview with The Herald immediately after being declared the winner, Cde Mnangagwa said he managed to watch the entire court process live on television.

Chief Justice Luke Malaba

Being a lawyer, the President-elect said, he had already formed his own opinion about the process.

“It is very rare that a bench of nine would deliver a unanimous decision which means that the respondent team attended to all aspects necessary to be dealt with to prove their case on all fours,” Cde Mnangagwa said.

“The level of intellectual jurisprudence in Zimbabwe in my view is very high and I feel that we have a bench of highly qualified persons who can stand anywhere the world over.

“ I feel that the clarity by which they delivered the judgment, they have left no room for speculation except for idle academic debate. I wholly accept their decision. It accords the will of the people politically as well as legally.”

Cde Mnangagwa said he was glad that after “wholly unnecessary violent protests”, the MDC Alliance eventually took a legal route to challenge the poll outcome.

“We have independent courts and we promised to respect their decision,” he said.
“Just as with the insights received from international monitors, we will be ready to implement any recommendations from the courts in order to further improve our democratic processes. We were not surprised by the court’s decision.

“The election results were firmly in line with all the pre-election polling and were entirely consistent with the final tally of ZEC as well as of other players. The observers also noted that this was the most peaceful, transparent and credible election Zimbabwe has ever held.”

PRAYING or PREYING . . . Chamisa captured in a Bulawayo church ahead of his rally at White City Stadium before elections. Chamisa was trounced in the July 30 plebiscite before challenging the result, a case which he lost with costs too.

Cde Mnangagwa said it was now time to unite, maintain peace and move forward.

“To Nelson Chamisa, my door is open and my arms are outstretched,” he said.

“We are one people, making one nation under one flag and singing one national anthem. It is now my wish, and I believe it is the wish of every patriotic Zimbabwean that we should all put our shoulder to the wheel and move forward as a nation and as a people. Let us now put whatever differences we might have behind us. It is time to build our nation and move forward together.”

He went on: “To our Zimbabwean citizenry, voters in their diversity, we must stand together and entrench our cherished culture of peace and unity.

“To the revolutionary party, Zanu-PF, I heartily thank you for showing confidence in my leadership. Above all, I thank you for showing magnanimity in victory. Such is the true measure of a mature party. Let us remain focused, imbued with the energy and zeal to build and develop our great nation of Zimbabwe.”

Cde Mnangagwa’s inauguration is set for tomorrow (Sunday) at the National Sports Stadium.