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Six people died and 14 others were injured after MDC Alliance supporters went on the rampage destroying property, torching vehicles, blocking roads and attacking innocent bystanders in Harare’s Central Business District on Wednesday.

In sad and regrettable events, marauding and intoxicated youths caused mayhem from about 10AM until late in the afternoon during which they besieged the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission offices and National Results Centre at the Harare International Conference Centre. The rowdy mob was eventually dispersed after the police, clearly outnumbered and overwhelmed, sought the assistance of the Zimbabwe National Army who quickly brought normalcy to the CBD.

In the midst of the mayhem, three people died in circumstances that can be described as regrettable and unfortunate considering the peaceful atmosphere which characterised the pre-election period, actual voting on Election Day and subsequent vote counting and announcement of results of the 2018 harmonised elections.

The violence perpetrated by MDC Alliance youths at the instigation of some of their leaders who have been issuing inflammatory statements is totally unwarranted and we are glad that it happened in full view of international observers and media who witnessed the mayhem, destruction and lawlessness visited on innocent people in the Harare CBD. Condemnation has been swift and brutal with the Commonwealth Observer Mission yesterday laying the blame for the violence and vandalism which took place in Harare squarely at the door of the MDC Alliance but also urging patience, tolerance and restraint in the country.

MDC Alliance leaders such as Messrs Tendai Biti and Nelson Chamisa have been issuing provocative statements to the media and posting inflammatory messages on their social media accounts and these could have incited their followers to pour onto the streets in a bid to make the country ungovernable.

While Mr Biti is a loose cannon known for reckless, verbose, bombastic and acerbic statements often issued emotionally, Mr Chamisa as leader of a political party with millions of supporters, should act responsibly, particularly at this juncture when the country is in the middle of a crucial electoral period.

The MDC Alliance has been declaring victory even before the first vote was cast and this trend continued after the close of polls. How they could declare themselves winners even before the counting began is anyone’s guess but that certainly had a bearing on the conduct of their supporters who genuinely believe what their leaders say and could have been influenced to act in the manner they did.

On July 31, Mr Chamisa posted this Twitter message: “Zec seeks to release results to buy time & reverse the people’s presidential election victory. The strategy is meant to prepare Zim mentally to accept fake presidential results. We’ve more votes than ED. We won the popular vote & will defend it!”.

He followed this with another tweet on August 1 which read: “THANK YOU ZIMBABWE  . . . I’m humbled by the support you have given to me as a Presidential Candidate. We have won the popular vote. You voted for total Change in this past election! We have won this one together. No amount of results manipulation will alter your WILL #Godisinit”.

Mr Biti addressed a press conference on July 31 at Harvest House where he declared Mr Chamisa the winner of the presidential election in flagrant violation of Zimbabwe’s laws. Without proferring a shred of evidence, he also made sensational claims that Vice President Constantino Chiwenga had ordered his assassination and that of Mr Chamisa. “We have also received very confidential reports that General Chiwenga has issued an order for the assassination of President Nelson Chamisa and myself; we don’t accept that,” Mr Biti said.

Asked if he had any evidence to that, he responded: “We cannot disclose our sources but it is fact. We have to protect our sources.” Such recklessness during an election is totally irresponsible and should be condemned by all right thinking people. Mr Biti is clearly showing that he has no regard for the country’s laws which, as a lawyer and officer of the court, he should be upholding.

His thuggish demeanour and behaviour is not expected of a person of his standing but should be associated with the louts who turned the Harare CBD upside down on Wednesday. But perhaps we are giving him too much credit because there are reports that most of the ring leaders of the chaos were being plied with alcohol and food by certain senior officials of the MDC Alliance.

We certainly do not want to think that he had anything to do with sending innocent children onto the streets to fight for a cause they have no stake in.

Zimbabwe is a peaceful nation which is on the cusp of getting back into the community of nations after holding a peaceful, credible, free and fair election.
People want to move on with their lives after electing leaders of their choice on 30 July. They certainly do not want chaos, violence and mayhem.