BY MOSES MATENGA
FORMER Higher and Tertiary Education minister Jonathan Moyo (pictured right) will this week launch a book that will allegedly demonstrate how last year’s elections were rigged in favour of President Emmerson Mnangagwa.
Moyo, a former Zanu PF’s election strategist, reviewed a number of alleged irregularities before, during and after the polls and the findings form the basis of the book titled Excelgate.
He contends that opposition MDC Alliance candidate Nelson Chamisa beat Mnangagwa in the polls, but could not be declared the winner after the military allegedly intervened.
In the book set to be launched simultaneously in Harare, South Africa, Europe and the United States, Moyo claims the military played a key role in ensuring a Mnangagwa victory.
“All told, it is clear from the foregoing that the military had a rigging conspiracy or that it colluded with (the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission) Zec through (chairperson Priscilla) Chigumba and the (Constitutional Court) ConCourt via (Chief Justice Luke) Malaba,” reads an extract from the book.
“Results for the presidential and the National Assembly elections were transmitted using different routes from the ward collation centre.
‘While the destination for the National Assembly election results was the constituency centre, the presidential results were forwarded to the district centre for onward transmission to the national command centre in Harare,” he added, quoting Zec allegedly making the admission.
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Moyo said he got most of the information from Zec officials, among other sources.
“My special gratitude goes to 11 unnameable Zec staff members and three Zec commissioners whose direct and indirect assistance to me was invaluable beyond description,” he added.
“ It is unfortunate but understandable that none of them wishes to be acknowledged by name.”
Moyo also wrote that Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga led the 2017 coup as he was afraid of being charged for treason.
Prior to the coup Chiwenga issued a statement ordering then president Robert Mugabe to stop purge against war veterans in Zanu PF. Zanu PF described the statements as treasonous.
“Some have claimed that the coup was triggered by the dismissal of Mnangagwa from the position of Vice President on November 6, 2017,” Moyo wrote.
“Again, this is far-fetched notwithstanding Mnangagwa’s ‘I will be back’ press statement he released on November 3, 2017.
“Others have alleged Mugabe’s refusal to meet Chiwenga on November 13 was the trigger of the coup. There was no refusal.
“The issue was about finding a mutually convenient time, and the expectation was that the meeting would be on Wednesday November 12, which turned out to be the day of the military coup.”
Moyo also dismissed claims that the coup was necessitated by the G40 faction that hadcoalesced around then first lady Grace Mugabe and that it was to target “criminals around Mugabe”.
He also describes claims that former police commissioner general Augustine Chihuri had attempted to arrest Chiwenga upon arrival from China as false.
Moyo said there was no grain of truth in allegations that Mugabe wanted to make Grace his successor, claiming instead, the late veteran leader wanted former Defence minister Sydney Sekeramayi to succeed him.
“But of course, it was convenient propaganda to claim that Grace was on the verge of taking over.
“On the other hand, the proposition that stopping Grace from succeeding her husband required a military coup was necessary and was a ludicrous excuse.”
Moyo claimed that in his book, there were points were he showed how the military used Zec to “steal the elections”.
“In this book, I show how the military used Zec to steal Zimbabwe’s presidential election from main opposition leader Nelson Chamisa who received 66% of the vote, to benefit Mnangagwa whose actual tally was 33%,” he said.
“The irrefutable evidence is overwhelming and beyond rational disputation. It is an open and shut case,” Moyo claimed.
Moyo claimed Foreign Affairs Minister Sibusiso Moyo, reporting to Chiwenga led the army manipulation of Zec systems.
Zanu PF spokesperson Simon Khaya-Moyo said he would not comment on a book he had not read.
“l cannot comment on something that I have not seen,” he said.
Government spokesperson Nick Mangwana rubbished the book and confirmed he had seen Moyo’s claims.
