ZANU PF has leapt to the defence of Fikile Mbalula, secretary-general of South Africa's ruling African National Congress (ANC) party, saying it did not bribe him to legitimise Zimbabwe's discredited polls.
The opposition Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) has accused Mbalula of having been bribed by Zanu PF to convince the Southern African Development Community (Sadc) that the elections were credible.
There are reports that the region is divided over President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s victory in the August 23 to 24 elections after several election observer groups including the Sadc one flagged the polls as not credible.
Three heads of States attended Mnangagwa’s inauguration in the capital this week while others sent representatives.
On Tuesday, Mbalula was at the Zanu PF headquarters where he stopped short of saying the elections were free and fair.
Zanu PF acting director of information, Farai Marapira, however, told NewsDay that the ruling party had “brotherly” relations with ANC.
“It was a nonsensical allegation that we bribed him. There is no grain of truth in those allegations coming from sore losers,” Marapira said.
Zanu PF has blamed Sadc election observer mission head Nevers Mumba for issuing a damning election report.
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It has accused him of bias, being a CCC sympathiser and a Western puppet.
On Wednesday night, Mumba dug in during an interview with SABC News where he accused Zanu PF of “barking up at the wrong tree.“
“Let our brothers answer the challenges of the report. Let them not go after personal assassination of innocent individuals,” he said.
“Levy Mwanawasa (late Zambian President) was also called a Western puppet after he differed with Zanu PF on one thing or the other.
“Now they have come after our President Hakainde Hichilema calling him a Western puppet.”
Zanu PF said Mumba was part of the opposition regime change agenda funded by the West.
Mumba’s election report said the polls did not meet Sadc's standard guidelines on the holding of democratic and credible elections.
