Judge for yourself: Transcript of BBC Hardtalk interview with Nelson Chamisa

Sackur: Did you tell the Americans that you would like to see the sanctions stay in place until after the elections, i.e. that you would like to see the sanctions remain as long as Emmerson Mnangagwa was in power.

Chamisa: Certainly not.

Sackur: So you want the sanctions lifted as soon as possible.

Chamisa: We have said sanctions are not good for the country, but it takes two to tango. We must also have our obligations in terms of observing human rights, good governance within our own country, respecting our own citizens so that we are able to be also admitted as respectable players in the family of nations.

Sackur: Emmerson Mnangagwa has all of the instruments of power at his disposal. He has the backing of course of the ruling ZANU-PF party and the machine that goes with that. He is gonna win this election isn’t he? I mean you are putting in a strong fight but he is gonna win.

Chamisa: I don’t know where you are getting this. He is gonna lose this election.

Sackur:  I am getting I suppose a feel from talking to people in Zimbabwe reading the press that ZANU-PF because Mugabe and Grace Mugabe are now off the scene still commands the loyalty of the people of Zimbabwe.

Chamisa: Mr Mugabe is not Mnangagwa. Mr Mnangagwa is coming in with a completely fractured party.  He has his own part of the party. But clearly he will not win this election, I will defeat President Mnangagwa in this election. Let us go to the election. This is a very crucial election just like the 1980 independence election. It’s actually the old versus the new, it’s an election between the bad versus the good,  and I can tell you that next………

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