The Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) formation led by Nelson Chamisa has in 24 hours raised over $15,000 of the targeted $128.000 to cover legal costs of the recent Constitutional Court case in which the MDC Alliance was seeking the nullification of the results of presidential election.
The Constitutional Court dismissed the matter with costs. The MDC Alliance, which fielded Chamisa as its presidential candidate, claimed that it won the poll by a wide margin while results released by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission showed that President Emmerson Mnangagwa got 50.6 percent of the votes cast and Chamisa just over 44 percent.
The Constitutional Court said the MDC Alliance did not have tangible concrete evidence of the alleged vote rigging.
By 10:30pm Monday, the MDC had raised $15,798.75 through the free online fundraising application, gofundme, in a campaign which was launched on Sunday.
A fundraising community team based in Stevenage, East of London, UK, is spearheading the campaign together with other members of the MDC Alliance, which has refused to recognize Mnangagwa as Zimbabwe’s new president, claiming that the ruling Zanu PF party stole the people’s vote.
In a post accompanying the fundraising campaign on the app, the team wrote in part, “On 30 July 2018, Zimbabweans turned up in unprecedented numbers to exercise their right to vote in a resounding, and unequivocal cry for change. Official observers deemed the election free, but not fair and not credible.
“Against overwhelming public opinion amongst Zimbabweas at home and abroad; the judgement handed by the Zimbabwe Constitutional Court went against Nelson Chamisa. Worse still, it carried a punitive condition requiring Nelson Chamisa to foot the legal costs of everyone involved. The funds required are needed as soon as possible.
“Please give generously, to fight this cynical ploy to silence a critical voice defending human rights, democracy and change in Zimbabwe.”
In the campaign is titled ‘Zimbabweans Defend Vote Legal Costs’, donors are expected to make their contributions by debit/credit card or via Ecocash.
Donors with up to R3,000 in South Africa have been urged to utilize FNB E-Wallet, ABSA Cashsend, Nedbank’s Thumela Imali and several other money transfer schemes.
The same campaign has been launched on You Tube by some well-wishers and the MDC Alliance, which says, “Let's stand together because the journey to change requires each and every one of us to play a part.”
Legal costs for the Constitutional Court matter are expected to run into thousands of dollars.